Lady Ruby
by travellerslover
Summary: After the completion of a new ground-breaking poison, Sakura is teamed up with her former teacher and her creation is put to the test. But when their next mission takes a dramatic turn for the worse, Sakura is the forced to realize that nothing is ever as it seems and sometimes it is impossible to escape the inevitable, and that maybe escape was never apart of the plan.
1. Chapter 1

**AN Hey guys! I'm back! And I pinky swear I will be continuing my other stories (sans _Trap Door_) in the form of sequels most likely. Someone mentioned they'd like if I did another multi-chapter non-AU fic, so I wracked my head for ideas and then suddenly this came to me. This is short because I'm merely introducing the concept. R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter One

Sakura stumbled through the gates, half-heartedly waving at Kotetsu and Izumo, her team following behind in similar exhausted fashion. It had been Sakura's first mission as captain since she made jounin, and although the mission required no fighting, nothing ever went according to plan. The pinkette was sent to lead a group of medical research trainees from the Nara clan, a very high privilege for someone not affiliated with any clan. It had been a grueling six months of mountainous, boring terrain peppered with small villages. The objective had been simple enough, they were to gather ingredients only found in Rock Country and compound a specialized drug to use during a seduction assignment where the goal is merely information gain.

As she slipped through her front door, Sakura lazily kicked off her shoes and began the slow journey to her bed, with every step she shed an article of clothing until a her entire jounin uniform formed a trail from the door to her room. She sighed, happy to know her mother probably stopped by to clean her house and put fresh sheets on her bed. Six months of military-style housing with a bunch of teens could ruin anyone and Sakura certainly missed the comfort of her queen-size bed. A small chuckle escaped her lips at the thought of calling her team 'a bunch of teens', she sometimes forgot she herself was still only nineteen.

"Do you always sleep naked, Ugly-chan?"

Sakura's eyes shot open and a scream erupted from her. Quickly grabbing her comforter, she shielded herself from the ANBU's eyes and glared knowingly.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Sai?" Her knuckles turned white and the thread of the comforter began to pull, making a tiny rip in the fabric. Sai instinctively took a step back, shaking his head and pulled up his mask.

"At least pretend not to know who I am when I'm in uniform, or are you stupid too?" His voice was calm and teasing, but Sakura could still trace the forced smile in his words. Had she had more sleep, Sakura might have found this banter humorous. Well that's not true. Sai never failed at pissing her off.

"Will you please tell me why you were watching me sleep naked?" She asked through clenched teeth. Sai merely shrugged.

"Of course. The Hokage needs to see you in his office immediately. He asked me to stop by on my way out to tell you. He said it is urgent." Sakura nodded in response, her mood rapidly deflating. She just got back and she was already requested for another mission? Did the gods hate her? Sensing that the message was adequately relayed, Sai pulled his mask back down over his face and disappeared through the window.

It only took Sakura fifteen minutes to shower and dress. Shrugging into a clean uniform, Sakura stepped over the trail of clothes only stopping to grab her vest and shoes. Once outside Sakura sighed thankfully. At least she'd missed Konoha's terrible heatwave this summer. Now the leaves were changing and the air was cool and crisp.

In true Kakashi fashion, Sakura dove into the Hokage's office by window and landed swiftly in front of his desk.

"Oi! Sakura-chan! That was super fast!" Naruto gave her a grin so bright and infectious, Sakura had to used all of her concentration to remain deadpan as she bowed deeply.

"You requested to see me, Hokage-sama?"

"Ugh cut it out with the 'Hokage-sama' stuff! Are you mad because I woke you up? Well I've been here since last night!" She continued to stare, unamused by his declaration. "Don't you at least want a chance to see if your drug works?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing a bright pink blush to dust Sakura's cheeks before embarrassment turned to rage.

"Naruto, you perverted toad!" She screamed, throwing a punch to the cheeky blond's face, but only to have it caught in his hand.

Naruto continued to laugh incessantly as Sakura struggled to pull her hand free from his grasp to no avail. "Not test it with me, Sakura-chan!" His smiled grew wider and she couldn't help but smile in return. He let go and handed her a small black bag and a mission scroll.

"Ugh, Naruto-sama, can't you just tell me what it says so I won't have to read it? It's too early to read." She complained, a small smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth when he complied, his demeanor shifting from playful to serious.

"Hai! I need you to go assist Kakashi-sensei in the completion of his mission. The mission objectives have changed and he needs immediate back-up with a skilled poison user, so naturally I chose you."

Sakura blushed at the compliment. "What about Shizune?"

"I need your specific skill-set. You are capable of fighting without ninjutsu, and this mission requires the use of your new drug." She gave him a bemused expression, urging him to expound. "He's at the Lightning Daimyo's compound, which has recently had a massive influx in security measures, so no one within the compound can use ninjutsu or genjutsnu, et cetera. His presence was requested because the Daimyo's concubine, Sangaku Kouryou, believed someone was trying to kill her within the compound and wanted absolute discretion, but that isn't the case exactly."

"I apologize, Hokage-sama, but I fail to see the need for my back-up."

Naruto sighed, exasperated. "Let me get back to that in a moment. A few of the Kages, including me, have expressed concern. Many carrier-ninja are being ambushed or disappearing in Lightning territory. I have reason to believe that the Daimyo, or someone within his compound is responsible for this. Lightning Country has suffered a recession since the war, so less people can pay their taxes, meaning less money for the Daimyo."

"So you think he's stealing from other countries to earn a profit on the black market.." Sakura said slowly, her mind trying to piece everything together.

"Right. Now only a few people would know where the Daimyo was keeping his most prized possessions, and it just so happens Kouryou had ulterior motives in asking for Kakashi-sensei to come investigate. Apparently she thought she could seduce him. Which puts us in an advantageous position."

Sakura's face twisted in confusion, at both Naruto's sudden improvement in vocabulary and the situation itself. "And what purpose would that serve..?"

Naruto chuckled. "It's quite devious actually. The Daimyo's wife is rumored to be barren, according to Kakashi-sensei's letter, but Kouryou has reason to believe that the Daimyo is actually just sterile because all attempts to conceive with her had also failed."

"Oh!" Realization dawned on Sakura, lighting her green eyes. "She was going to use Kakashi to get a male heir! That would put her in a pretty big position of power."

"Mm." He agreed. "I told Kakashi of your research project before he departed. In his letter he said if you'd perfected the drug he could use it to gain information from Kouryou. So that is why you are here Sakura-chan. Has it been perfected?"

She nodded slowly. "It hasn't had any testing in the field yet, but yes it is stable and completed."

"Good. One of Kouryou's hand-maidens just happened to fall very ill this week and she is hiring a replacement. Your disguise and credentials are inside the bag. I want you to meet up with Kakashi-sensei and explain how the drug- what is it called?"

"Iku-hontou."

"Explain how the iku-hontou works and assist Kakashi-sensei in it's use. Then you will extract information about the Daimyo's dealings or the whereabouts of the stolen property as best possible. Do not engage, report back immediately. Your rendezvous is in six days, so I suggest you leave as soon as you can. You won't recognize him, he will seek you out."

"Hai!" Sakura bowed and took her leave, suddenly excited at what the mission could hold.

...


	2. Chapter 2

**AN Phew second chapter up in a day! I just couldn't go out and start running errands until I got this out! Now I can shop in peace. This chapter is rated M for sexual themes. Let it be known that not every chapter will warrent an M rating. Let me know how ya feel, yo! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Two

Sakura cast one last glance towards her reflection, ensuring her disguise was flawless. Her hair had been coloured a sunny shade of strawberry blonde, and she paid extra for the salon to use a rather painful technique to make it grow nearly ten inches in length. Her long locks were pulled into a neat, fishtail braid and her uniform had been replaced with a clean, white yukata. She opened the glass door and bowed to the guards, showing them her papers. In a matter of minutes Sakura was stepping out of the elevator that brought her to the Daimyo's home. It was truly a castle nestled in the clouds and the sight took her breath away, however no one gave her much time to gawk as she was quickly escorted inside, introduced to the staff, and put to work.

Much to her dismay, Sakura had arrived two days ahead of schedule, which would have meant waiting around for Kakashi to show up if the Daimyo's concubine hadn't been so demanding. Sakura was a ninja, so of course she was ready for anything, but she couldn't recall a time she was so exhausted by mere assistant duties.

Placing a few towels near the bath, Sakura bowed deeply. "Is that all you need. Kouryou-sama?" Her green eyes rose to see a smiling Kouryou. As the steam rolled upwards from the warm water, creating an ethereal air about the mistress, Sakura suddenly understood why the Daimyo took her as his concubine. Not only was she young, only three years older than Sakura, but she was also incredibly beautiful. Like many in lightning country, Kouryou had a dark, caramel complexion paired with pale hair, hers was a harmony of colours found only in a sunrise, and her eyes were a mixture of warm magenta hues. It was impossible to dislike Kouryou, even if she was spoiled and a tad conniving.

"Yes, thank you Midori-chan. I will see you in a bit." Sakura nodded, biting back a scowl, she hated the alias Naruto chose for her.

The long hallway was dark as the night had fallen and the sound of Sakura's slippers rhythmically hitting the hardwood floor was her only company as she made her way back to Kouryou's quarters to prepare for the mistress's nightly ritual. A sudden surge in chakra prickled Sakura's awareness and she stood shock-still, allowing her beryl eyes to flit about the space, searching for the cause. Shrugging off the feeling, Sakura only managed one step forward before she felt an iron-like grip grasp her arm, and she was flung inside an unfamiliar bedroom. But before Sakura could open her mouth to scream at her captor, she recognized his chakra signature.

"Who the hell do you think you are, grabbing me like that?" She huffed and glanced up to meet Kakashi's eyes, but Sakura's gaze never quite made it that far as she was now staring at the bare face of Hatake Kakashi. The light from their twin lamps danced about the room, causing flickers of orange to erratically lick at Kakashi's surprisingly soft features. A sheepish smile made its way onto the Copy-nin's face as he scratched the back of his neck and Sakura was sure she'd forgotten how to breath as a result.

"Sorry Sakura-chan, just didn't want to miss you is all. It is hard to get close to you while staying away from Kouryou-sama." He admitted, pushing the light from his lamp away from him as to subtly shy away from Sakura's critical eyes.

"I would not have recognized you if not for your chakra signature, you look so different Kakashi-sensei." Sakura whispered dumbly, taking in his now chestnut-brown hair and the way it fell over his left eye, casting a dangerously sexy shadow over his face. However if Kakashi knew how handsome he was, he certainly didn't acknowledge it, so instead he shrugged off her comment and went about business as usual, as though Sakura weren't incredibly floored by the sight of his face.

"I understand you have developed a drug that would come in handy for me, ne?"

"Mm." Sakura nodded, slipping into a more professional demeanor. "It's called 'iku-hontou'. It is a slow-acting toxin that's effects are triggered during the refractory period. It intensifies feelings brought on by the release of the neurohormones oxytocin and and prolactin."

Kakashi stared back with a blank expression and Sakura rolled her eyes. "In layman's terms, the toxin only works post orgasm. It amplifies the effects to where the victim is no longer aware of their whereabouts and have no way of filtering their thoughts. I developed it to create a better way to extract information during missions where seduction is a key-point."

"I was afraid of that." Kakashi sighed. "I was hoping to avoid having to sleep with Kouryou altogether. I haven't done this sort of mission probably since I was your age." He paused to laugh, pushing a bare hand through his messy hair. "I'm not getting paid enough for this."

"Aw Kakashi-sensei, worried you'll be rusty?" She teased, jabbing his rib playfully. "The village will compensate due to the nature of the mission change. Besides, you merely have to bring her to.." Sakura trailed off, suddenly aware that this conversation was happening between her and her former sensei and tried desperately to switch gears before he noticed how flushed she had become and luckily he seemed to understand her implication. "Look, it _is_ the most efficient way and it leaves no traceable evidence. The only side-effects are dizziness and memory-loss, so she most likely won't even recall the event."

"How do I administer it?"

"I'll pour into her nightly tea, you just need to be there within the hour of consumption, so about nine o'clock should be fine. I'm going to be backing you up in case anything goes awry, this is technically the first field testing."

"Way to make me feel reassured, Sakura-chan." A deep, lulling laugh escaped his lips, the smile causing Sakura to blush again. "Tonight okay? I'd really like to get this over with and get out of here."

Sakura nodded and forced her eyes elsewhere. There was no way she could continue talking to Kakashi sans mask. Kakashi's face was average, really, nothing remarkable, but that somehow made him more handsome. And when he smiled, the Copy-nin revealed a new range of emotions Sakura wouldn't have otherwise experienced. She had no idea how truly genuine his expressions seemed when all she saw was the one lone, bored eye. This was definitely going to have negative repercussions in the future, it was hard to show a proper amount of respect to her former sensei now that all she could picture was his perfect smile.

...

Sakura expertly poured exactly two ounces of nonfat milk into Kouryou's jasmine tea, and with the flick of her wrist she poured a tiny vial of clear liquid into the cup as well. The medic-nin made sure the milk was cold enough to chill the tea so that the temperature wouldn't effect the drug. She turned around and set the tray onto the table beside Kouryou's lavish feather bed. For a long while the two sat in silence, Kouryou preoccupied with her reading (surprisingly the woman adored _Icha Icha _as well) and Sakura pretending not to intently watch as Kouryou finished every last drop of her tea.

"Thank you, Midori-chan. That will be all." The mistress replied, not taking her eyes away from her book as she flipped the page. Checking the clock to make sure an hour had yet to pass, Sakura gathered up the tea set.

"Hai, Kouryou-sama." Sakura turned to leave. "Oh wait! My deepest apologies, ma'am. A security guard gave me a note to give to you."

Kouryou's perfectly arched eyebrow rose in question and she took the note, reading it carefully through her horn-rimmed glasses. Her eyes bulged in shock.

_I cannot resist your advances any longer, please allow me the pleasure of your company this evening. I will be there at 9. -K_

The woman glanced at the clock and nearly shrieked. She had fifteen minutes.

"Why are you just now telling me this!?" The periwinkle-haired woman stared down at Sakura, her gaze harsh but not unforgiving.

"I am so sorry, I thought it inappropriate to read it, and I got so caught up a-and I am sorry!" Sakura bowed so deeply that her forehead was brushing against the floor.

"Oh it's alright, just dim the lights and get me my perfume then make yourself scarce, got it?"

"Hai!" Doing as she was told, Sakura darted about the room to lower the lamps, the tea set forgotten, a satisfied smirk hidden on her face; she never thought herself to be much of an actor. After handing Kouryou what she assumed was her favourite perfume, Sakura waited until her back was turned and silently jumped into the air, catching a rafter in one hand before gracefully flipping herself onto the thick wooden beam. Kouryou turned back to say something else and was shocked to see no sign of Midori-chan. She shrugged it off, albeit still a little spooked. A knock sounded on the door and all of her worries melted away.

Kouryou positioned herself on the edge of her bed, her silk robe falling perfectly off her shoulder to real the smooth skin of her bronzed chest. Almost painfully slow did the door slide open to reveal a rather nervous-looking Kakashi. Not so nervous that Kouryou would notice, but Sakura could tell by the way his hand trembled slightly as he closed the door behind him that he was anxious.

The satisfied grin on Kouryou's face suddenly made Sakura very aware of what was about to transpire. Why did she hide here of all places? She could have waited outside, in the closet, even in the bathroom, but for some reason she chose the only hiding spot that gave her a front row seat to the show. The show starring her revered former teacher performing some type of sexual act on another person.

Maybe that was why he seemed nervous, because little Sakura-chan would see the whole thing and he probably wasn't expecting an audience, let alone her. Sakura took a moment to silently curse her poor decision-making and managed to swallow her feelings efficiently.

Wait, she had her chakra concealed, and she was a master, there was no way he knew of her presence, so that could only mean that the Copy-nin actually _was_ nervous. She grinned despite herself.

"So what made you change your mind, Kakashi-san?" Kouryou's voice was low and husky that it caused a certain swagger to be injected into Kakashi's stance as he sauntered towards her. He stood between her parted thighs, soft but shapely, and leaned forward, brushing his lips against the skin below her ear as he tangled his hand in her light tresses.

"It seems you tried hard enough to get me here, why should I pretend to want otherwise?" He murmured in a voice so sexy that even Sakura felt her skin run hot with goosebumps, and she was merely a spectator.

'I shouldn't be watching this.' She realized. 'I am going to be too embarrassed to speak to him.. But I can't leave now without being noticed.' Sakura decided that she would appear to Kakashi in a way that didn't suggest her previous presence and vowed to never speak of this night to him, he would likely lose all her trust if he found out she had incidentally spied on a very personal, and frankly embarrassing moment.

"Mmm.." Kouryou sighed and Kakashi pressed his lips firmly against her and pushed her body into the bed. Sakura watched as Kakashi wasted no time in opening her robe. He planted long, lingering kisses down her neck until he reached her large, round breasts. Kouryou's tan nipple disappeared between the Copy-nin's lips and the mistress writhed beneath him, his name delicately dancing off her tongue as he kneaded her other breast in slow, practiced motions. Kakashi sat up to meet her gaze one more time before he slowly dragged his tongue down her ribs, stopping to lightly bite her hip, which earned him a gasp of surprise.

Sakura could not recall a time she felt so affected by something like this, especially since she was merely a third-party. She, like many kunoichi before her, lost her virginity in a passionless fling with a good enough friend and proceeded to carry out at least one seduction mission since then, but Sakura was sad to say she had never experienced what Kouryou was experiencing in that moment, and from the ministrations of her teacher no less.

A tangible warmth pooled at the pit of stomach, causing heat to spread out from her core and Sakura could easily admit she was a bit jealous of Sangaku Kouryou's luck. Sakura had never known Kakashi to have any lovers, but he seemed experienced enough to have had plenty and much to the viridian-eyed girl's surprise, the idea of Kakashi being a sexual object no longer seemed so farfetched. She just hoped the smell of incense, perfume, and Kouryou's sex stamped out the scent of her own evident arousal, because Kakashi's nose was sensitive enough to pick up on it otherwise.

Kakashi moved lower and lower until he was seated on his knees at the foot of the bed. He sucked at the tender flesh of her inner thigh and the woman squirmed with need. Sakura's eyes widened as her former sensei's mouth closed around Kouryou's sex. Snippets of past discussions with Ino had given her plenty of information on this, but from a non-medical stand-point Sakura now understood what Ino had been on about. The young kunoichi tried to look away but found she could not tear her now curiously aroused, beryl gaze from the scene.

"Mm, Kakashi-san.." Kouryou moaned loudly, grasping the sheets in her hand for stability. The sharingan user stopped abruptly, but only momentarily, to whisper something in the mistress's ear that Sakura didn't quite catch, but it apparently made the older woman laugh. "That's kind of kinky, Kakashi-_sensei_." She purred.

Sakura's eyes opened wide and her mind tried to make sense of the implications as Kakashi returned to his previous position between Kouryou's legs. This time, with newfound fervor, Kakashi was driving this girl over the edge, and his former student couldn't help but notice that every time Kouryou said his name with the added suffice, he would moan into her, his grasp on her hips would tighten. Sensing that he was nearly finished, Sakura used their distraction to silently crawl across the banister and drop into the bathroom. The entire ordeal left her confused, and a tad nauseated.

Washing her face and being careful to clean up any signs of her arousal, Sakura exited out the other door and doubled back to the main entrance of Kouryou's chambers, quietly thankful the concubine was offered her own private wing of the compound, because otherwise the entire house would have heard her calling out the name of a Bingo Book famous shinobi, and calling him _sensei_ the entire time.

Sakura stood at the oak door and took a few calming breath, pushing her confusion to another place that she would access when the time was right. "Kakashi-sensei?" She whispered, ignoring the way calling him sensei suddenly felt so taboo. The door swung open to reveal a flustered, bedraggled Kakashi. His normal marble skin now flushed and his chestnut hair somehow more messy, and therefore so much more sexy. He stared at her for a moment with a look of guilt in his visible eye, but Sakura merely pushed past him and pulled up her yukata to grab her hidden medical pack.

After checking Kouryou's vitals and recording them to a small pad, Sakura took a step back to catalogue the woman's appearance. Her magenta eyes were glassy and half-hooded with satisfaction, the pupils nearly twice the normal size.

"Kouryou-sama?" Sakura asked cautiously. Said woman turned to her side to face Sakura, but her eyes merely stared blankly ahead with little visible recognition.

"Hm?"

"I need to ask you a few questions." Sakura kept her voice stern and even, despite the cacophony of emotions and thoughts buzzing in her mind and the way Kakashi's eyes bored into the back of her head. "Do you know if the Daimyo has been making black-market deals?" She asked carefully.

"Mm, yes." Kouryou still seemed not to realize what was happening and the tension so thick in the air began to clear up and Kakashi took a few steps closer to stand beside Sakura.

"What does he do?" Kakashi spoke this time.

"He hires rogue ninja to steal information and stuff, then splits the profit seventy/thirty with them once he sells it." Her lips were barely moving, but both shinobi could clearly make out the words.

"Does he keep some of the items within the compound? Like records, scrolls or artifacts?"

"Yes.. but don't mention this.. I only know. Me and his advisor, Ringo-sama." They could sense she was about to lose consciousness and made haste with the interrogation as best they could.

"Where, Kouryou-sama?" Sakura demanded.

"Under the fountain." And after that she was out, leaving them to decipher the vague location. Kakashi turned to meet her eyes.

"So it's like a truth serum.." He mused, not entirely understanding why this drug needed to exist. As though sensing his thoughts, Sakura explained defensively.

"Yes, and sometimes a kunoichi would rather not have to actually fuck her target just to get a bit of information. Especially in delicate situations where justu cannot be used."

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly before returning to their droopy state. They both knew she had a point and he was not about to start an argument over a subject he knew so little about.

"Here." She handed him a tiny pack, and when he opened it there was a black mask and about fifty senbon inside. "Those contain a high potency tranquilizer, enough to knock out a horse. I know they aren't your weapon of choice, but we have no other option if we want to get out mostly clean."

He nodded in agreement and slipped the mask over his face, any awkward tension between them disappeared along with the sight of his face, they had a mission to carry out. "Remember not to engage unless we have to. Let's just find the vault and go."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura replied, holding back the snarky remark perched on the tip of her tongue.

...


	3. Chapter 3

**AN Hey anyone read Shippuden 597? Because it was a doozy and a half. Anyways! Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews! I super appreciate it! This chapter is mostly talking and whatnot, I am going to try to only write from Sakura's POV, which is super hard. R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Three

"Hey Ino.. Can I talk to you about something? This weird thing happened on my last mission and it is driving me crazy."

Ino rolled her eyes and took a long sip of her tea before signaling the waitress to bring another pot. "What do you mean? Shikamaru said it was a huge success, that you were being honored and that your creation was going to go in medical journals and stuff."

Sakura blushed lightly, but sighed as she stared into her empty cup. "No, I know. I had a short one right after that, I was back-up for Kakashi-sensei." The coral-haired girl met Ino's eyes warily, hoping her friend didn't see the small scowl as she uttered his honorific.

"Forehead.." The blonde set down her cup and motioned for their server to leave the the tea pot with them. "Are you okay, what happened?"

"Promise you won't say a word, Ino? Not to anyone. Not even Chouji." Ino nodded slowly, she knew that if Sakura wasn't teasing her with nicknames, then something serious must have happened.

Sakura relayed the events, leaving out names and places to keep the mission at least somewhat confidential, and Ino listened with rapt interest, her oceanic eyes growing wider by the second, and when Sakura was finished, Ino had to pick her jaw up off the table.

"Holy shit, Forehead! What do you think that means?" The blonde gasped, excited at the prospect.

"I think it means I may need to see a therapist."

"Well _I _ think it means he has a thing for people who call him sensei.." The wolf-like grin finishing her train of thought for her.

"Listen Pig, all of the Rookie Nine call him sensei. And besides it could just be a kinky sex thing." Sakura shrugged, sipping her tea as nonchalantly as possible and pretending the water didn't burn her tongue.

"Like you know a damn thing about kinky sex things. That sounds to me like an oddly specific kinky sex thing. Something targeted to younger women who call him sensei."

"You're making it sound creepy. He just reads too much _Icha Icha_." Ino's grin grew wider as Sakura's cheeks flushed darker.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much, _Sa-ku-ra_." Ino sing-songed "I'm merely pointing out that it is odd how Kakashi-sensei seemed to enjoy sexing up this chick as soon as she started calling him sensei. Just something to think about."

Sakura sighed and began fiddling with her incredibly long hair, hoping for a subject change. "Maybe we can go on a vacation with the bonus I got for getting my findings and research published, ne?"

Ino's face lit up. "Did you get paid a ton? I tried to pry Shika but he lied, saying he had no clue!"

"That's because he has manners, Pig. Let's just say it was enough to pay off my rent for the next year and then a little more." She smiled, her mind whirling with the possibility of not having to work paycheck to paycheck for the first time in awhile.

"So will he be at your party tonight?" Great, back here again.

"Is it considered my party when I had no say whatsoever in whether or not it was happening and have a mission scroll from the Hokage himself ordering me to go?"

"Yes..?"

Sakura laughed loudly, covering her mouth incase a bit of mochi was stuck in her teeth. "I have no clue if he will be there. If I have to go, I am sure Naruto-sama will force him to as well."

...

Sakura made it a point to drink more than needed as she got ready for 'her' party, mainly because she still couldn't take her mind off of Kakashi and needed to take the edge off. She hadn't been entirely honest with Ino about the whole thing, because frankly she was far too embarrassed to say anything more. Sakura knew Ino was right, that Kakashi probably _did_ have a thing for students, and the pink-haired kunoichi couldn't deny that fact. Ino didn't see the way Kakashi's demeanor changed the moment Kouryou call him sensei. Before his motions had been well-practiced and sensual, but almost robotic and routine. Then Sakura experienced a Kakashi she had never met, one with passion, longing, and desperate need. That guilty, almost self-loathing look in his eyes when she walked into Kouryou's room.. Sakura couldn't get it out of her head.

Shaking her head, Sakura took another swig of sake from the bottle (her shishou would've been proud) and stared at her reflection. She only owned one casual dress, it was a deep red, and form-fitting with long sleeves. Although her long, cotton candy hair had been styled to perfection and her make up was flawless, both thanks to Ino, Sakura didn't feel very pretty. She looked tired and confused, a style she had been trying to get rid of for nearly a week to no avail.

"Forehead! Open up! Time to jet!"

Slipping into her black flats, Sakura grabbed a jacket and swung the door open. "Jeez, Pig. You're the one that went home to change two hours ago!"

Ino rolled her eyes and grabbed Sakura's arm to drag her along. "You smell like a brewery, Forehead. Who gets drunk before they go to the bar? What are you, a teenager?"

Viridian eyes slid to the right to give Ino a deadpan look. Although they often made running jokes about their young age, Sakura just wasn't in the mood to hear it. "Stuff it, Piglet. I'd have to get drunk to put up with the likes of you."

"Tsk tsk tsk. We both know that is not true. You never get drunk without purpose. I think you're just trying to get the courage to seduce your sensei!"

"INO! Christ! Keep your fucking voice down! You're the worst!"

Sakura pushed the door to the bar open and was greeted by many cheering shinobi, all raising their glasses to her. She couldn't help but blush furiously, most people didn't receive such a celebration when they created a new drug for the shinobi field, so Sakura could only assume this was Naruto's doing.

"Congratulations, Sakura-chan!" A hard body crash into her and Sakura had to use chakra-laden feet to avoid them both toppling over.

"Eh, thanks Naruto-sama.." The Hokage pulled away and pressed a wet kiss on her mouth in front of dozens of surprised guests, Sakura not included, she was used to drunk Naruto's incredibly sincere way of relaying feelings. The rosette pushed him off as she wiped her lips across her sleeve. "So why such a big party, Hokage-kun? And where is your lovely girlfriend?"

Naruto blushed furiously at his momentary lapse in judgement. He turned to glance at all the guests and sighed thankfully when he spotted Hinata walking out of the ladies room none the wiser. "Well, I am just so proud of you, Sakuraaa!"

"Plus he's been insufferable at the office lately. He just wanted to have a party and you were the best excuse he could come up with next to 'But it's a Tuesday, Konohamaru-kun!'" Naruto's dutiful assistant and hopeful future legacy spoke up.

Sakura punched Naruto's arm hard. "I knew it! I bet you don't even know what you're honoring me for!"

The blond leader scratched the back of his head nervously before glaring at his assistant. "Oh!" His head jerked to the side. "Is that Hinata calling me?" Then he was gone.

A few others came to congratulate her and once the excitement of her arrival died down, Sakura saddled up in the corner of her shared booth and half-heartedly listened as Tenten exasperatedly told the latest story of Lee and Neji's antics.

"Don't look now." Sakura shivered as Ino's soprano voice tickled her eardrums quietly. "But the Copy-ninja is staring at you." Doing as she was told, Sakura giggled as though Ino had just given her a juicy slice of information, then waited a few moments to let her gaze sweep across the room.

Sure enough their eyes met and he gave her a lazy, wet smile. He was apparently having a sake-drinking competition with Gai and appeared to be winning with little effort seeing as how Gai was passed out on the table. The starry-haired man shrugged then picked up his book to continue reading in the dim bar. He looked so perfectly at home, stretched out in the booth with a book in one hand and an entire bottle of sake in the other.

"Go talk to him, Forehead! He's so lonely!" Sakura reverted her gaze back to Ino's aquamarine orbs and sighed.

"There's a difference between being alone and being lonely, Pig."

Ino eyed her carefully before speaking. "But is there, Sakura? Is there really?" Sakura rolled her eyes most melodramatically. "C'mon, Billboard Brow! Just hear me out!"

"As if I have a choice." Sakura muttered under her breath but glanced around the table to make sure everyone was distracted, grant it they were ninja and no one was every _really _ distracted.

Ino elbowed her hard in the ribs. "Just stop being so stubborn for one second. Why don't we do some reconnaissance on Kakashi-sensei?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like, track some of the people he's slept with in the last two years, or try catch him in the act now and see if he does the same thing with everyone!"

"Ino.." Sakura started skeptically. "I've _never_ seen him with anyone. Save for once when I was a genin and he accidentally kissed someone. And watching him do that.. _stuff _was fucked-up enough the first time. I really don't feel comfortable, y'know?"

Ino sighed. "Fine, I'll do some digging, and don't give me that look! I can be discreet when needed! Anyways, when you change your mind we can talk about it, deal?"

"Ugh, fine deal. But only report back to me if I truly want to know!" Ino nodded in understanding, missing the way Sakura's voice cracked a little bit. She was lying to Ino, of course she wanted to know, but the whole idea was so embarrassing. Since that mission, Sakura had been fascinated with her former sensei. If he was mysterious before, now he had graduated to full-blown enigma. Then the idea hit her.

"What if I didn't seduce him per se, but instead put myself out there?"

"I thought we threw that idea out.. So you admit you think he's hot for you?" Ino smirked triumphantly which earned her a glare.

"I mean, the idea is absolutely ridiculous, but maybe yeah.. I mean, he's never really shown any interest.."

"Sakura, you are blind as a bat. Neji had a crush on you and tried to show interest for an entire year and you never caught on until he gave up!"

"I thought he just really wanted me to make jounin!" Sakura cried a little too loudly, causing a few people to turn and glance her way before turning back to their conversations. Shaking off her embarrassment, Sakura continued. "But I have no idea how to be subtle, you know that."

"Boy do I. How about this, next time you train together or go on a mission together, maybe wear something other than that frumpy jounin uniform? I mean, he's been glancing at your dress every five minutes since you sat down."

"No he has not! And I _like_ my jounin uniform, I feel proud to wear it, like I've accomplished something, y'know?" Ino just stared at her with a blank expression. Of course she didn't know, Ino still had a real, functioning team. "Besides, you're the one who told me to go out for jounin once the team kind of disbanded. To help with my confidence."

"I know that, Forehead. But why don't you just spice up the uniform? You already have long hair again, so you're on your way to being more feminine. Just trade the pants for a really short pair of shorts or skirt, something small like that."

"But if he was lusting after me, shouldn't I be myself?"

"Ugh you are so literal sometimes. Listen, you aren't changing who you are, you're just making it more difficult for him to ignore the feelings that he might possibly have for you, right?"

Sakura didn't admit it, but Ino did have a point and she couldn't deny that having one of the most famous shinobi in the known world wanting _her_ did feel awesome, even if it was all just drunk speculation. The roseate-haired girl turned to Kakashi again to find him discreetly watching her over the top of his book. Sakura was despaired to think that she saw a gleam of recognition in his eyes, like he was keen on exactly what was going on. Slowly, the sharingan user rose to his feet and walked to wear Sakura was sitting.

"Sakura." She felt a large hand grasp her shoulder gently and he leaned forward, his voice low and honest. "Congratulations on the accomplishment. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to experience it first hand." With that, Kakashi turned to walk away, leaving a pair of kunoichi gaping like fish in his wake.

Maybe the idea wasn't so ridiculous after all.

...

"Why is it so hot?" Sakura groaned from her place in the grass and looked around at her companions. Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and herself decided that since this may be the only time they are all together they wold have themselves an all-girls battle royale, but as soon as noon came, so did an unexpected heat-wave.

"I don't know." Tenten replied, pouring some water on her face. "It's October. It isn't supposed to be this way."

"I am too hot to even kick your asses." Ino spoke quietly, as though her life energy had been completely drained. The rest of the girls, Hinata included, scoffed at Ino's comment. However all of them too tired to challenge the blonde bombshell.

They were sprawled out in a circle on the grassy field of training ground three. The sun was harsh, basking them in an unwanted cosmic glow, which was most unfortunate because they were at the only training ground without trees. Their outer clothes were laid not far off in a sweaty pile while they settled for shorts and sports bras. They all agreed that after their short break, the loser had to take everyone's clothes to the dry-cleaner, but that short break had since then lasted over an hour and all four of them were sporting lights tans and early stages of dehydration.

"Someone has to go to training ground two to fill the canteens." Sakura rasped.

"And maybe bring back some lunch." Ino added, ignoring the 'fat' comment whispered by Sakura.

"And maybe some mango ice." Offered Tenten.

"An umbrella would be nice." If Hinata was complaining, then they knew an all time low had been reached.

"I vote Forehead." Ino spoke and in two seconds flat the other two girls agreed.

Sighing and moaning, Sakura stood up and accepted, knowing that if she didn't go then no one would and that would surely be the death of them all. "Fine, you lazy cows. But I'll be back with vengeance." She tried to sound menacing, but the lack of emotion in her tone betrayed her. Grabbing each canteen, Sakura slipped on her shoes and sluggishly marched towards training ground two.

Sakura sighed as the trees of training ground two protected her from the sunlight. 'Those other girls don't know what they're missing.' She thought as she approached the river. Filling the canteens as quickly as possible, an idea struck the sun-soaked kunoichi. "Why am I not swimming in this?" She quietly asked herself and in no time she was wading in the slow moving river, using a branch to hold her in place.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. Trying to escape the heat?" A baritone laced with amusement shocked the pinkette back to reality and she squealed in surprise, despite recognizing the voice. She turned to see Kakashi filling his canteen a little farther upstream. It was hard not to stare, really. He was wearing his sleeveless shirt with the attached mask to reveal tanned, tone arms glistening with sweat and Sakura had to literally smack herself to rid the compromising thoughts springing up out of her head.

"Well you know.." Sakura started but suddenly felt bashful. Kakashi screwed the lid onto his canteen before giving her a curious look as though waiting for her to continue. "The girls and I were sparring but we collapsed from the heat."

"Ah. So I see you got saddled with fetching more water." He was smiling and Sakura could see the outline of his mouth through the cloth, and for just a moment she was transported back to Kouryou's bed, only this time it was her twisting in the sheets. The sudden thought caused her to jerk, surprised. She gasped and accidentally inhaled a mouthful of water. Almost on instinct, Kakashi grabbed the branch and pulled Sakura closer before scooping her up onto the shore and rubbed her back while she choked out the last drops of water.

"A kunoichi that can't swim, tsk tsk. I'm disappointed in you." He laughed as she managed to glare at him despite her coughing fit. He patted her back a few more times before she sat up straight, incidentally giving Kakashi a a good look at her attire, which had by that point soaked through completely, clinging to her body.

The Copy-nin cleared his throat and looked the other way. Only then did Sakura realize that her bra had been completely see-through and that she may as well had been naked. Sakura, smirking at the way her former sensei's ears were burning a bright shade of red, got an idea to test the waters. Figuratively.

"So, Kakashi-_sensei_." She drawled, laying back to lean on her hands, supposedly naive of her compromising position.

"Hm?" He turned her way and Sakura blushed when his gaze traveled from the tips of her toes all the way to her eyes, which now shone a steely shade of jade in the sunlight. She had not been expecting him to act so shameless, and as a result Sakura became incredibly self-conscious. 'Damn it.'

"I uh.. I should probably go make sure the girls aren't dead. I've wasted enough time already." She stuttered.

Sakura glanced up to meet his mismatched eyes, one dark and aloof, while the other menacing and deadly. However there was a strange sense of comfort Sakura found when looking into the Copy-nin's eyes. Maybe because she knew first-hand how strong and powerful he was, but at the same time he would never do anything to hurt her and would use any means necessary to protect her. His gaze dropped for a moment to her lips before sliding back up to her eyes, forcing her sun-kissed cheeks to burn brighter. His unreadable stare quickly turned friendly and he ruffled her messy, wet hair.

"You ladies should take better care of yourselves." And with a wink he disappeared. Sakura swore she saw a rather proud smirk beneath that mask, and with newfound purpose she marched back to the field. Haruno Sakura was _not _one to be toyed with. Oh no, Kakashi had another thing coming if he thought he could fluster her out of sheer amusement. But she couldn't stamp out the feeling that there was something she had missed during the exchange.

...


	4. Chapter 4

**AN Hey y'all! Thanks so much for the amazing reviews and follows! It feels awesome to know you like this story! I appreciate the continued support, yo! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Four

_Lady Ruby come seduce me._

"Ne, Sakura-chan. I know you're supposed to be preparing for your mission today, but there's been a change of plans."

The rosette cocked her head to the side in question. "What kind of change?"

"I know you were supposed to depart with Neji-san this afternoon, but his immediate presence has been requested for a very high-paying mission and I really cannot afford to let him pass it up." Naruto sighed knowing Neji and Ino were the original and more appropriate choice for this mission but having no other option.

Sakura rolled her eyes. She wouldn't even be taking this mission if her best friend hadn't begged her to go in her stead. "Well, who is his replacement? I mean, I really needed the Byakugan for this mission and it will be hard to go without it."

"Kakashi-sensei has agreed to take Neji's place, he is the only other suitable replacement. He's on a short day-long mission and will be back this evening. I expect you to depart in the morning as early as possible. The sooner we put an end to that mess, the better."

"Mm." Sakura agreed, even though her stomach lurched at the idea of going on another mission with the Copy-nin. Especially this kind of mission.

"You have two weeks. You're dismissed." Sakura bowed and turned to leave until Naruto called her out. "Oi oi! Sakura-chan! Can you tell the ANBU outside my dorm to fetch me some ramen?"

...

"Forehead, you are looking at this entirely the wrong way. You get to spend two weeks in a beachside resort."

"Yeah, investigating a string murders. With Kakashi-sensei who insists being so infuriatingly nonchalant." Sakura spoke through clenched teeth.

"Oh please, the hotel is giving you an unlimited budget just to catch one guy. It's like a vacation disguised as a mission." Ino argued.

"Or the other way around."

Ino rolled her eyes. "God you are the worst. At least now you might get to see Kakashi-sensei's face!"

Sakura paused for a moment, her bedroll still in her hands hovering over her open pack. "Actually.."

"What? You mean you saw it?!" Ino squealed, nearly jumping with anticipation. "How could leave that bit of information out? I cannot _believe_ you're just now telling me this!"

"Jeez, Pig. In light of everything else, his face seemed to just take the backseat.."

"Well what the fuck does he look like? Spill it! Is he handsome?"

Sakura bit her lip and her face slipped into hard look of concentration. "Fuck, Ino. I can't really remember what he looks like." Her face flushed a deep shade of crimson, every time she tried to remember his face, she could only see the series of images she was trying to forget.

"Ugh." Ino smacked her palm against her forehead in frustration. "That is so like you. To think, you have this massive fucking head that must just be empty. You can't even think to remember how your former teacher looks. Something we've all wanted to know for years."

Sakura punched Ino's arm. "Oh please, we all gave up on caring years ago. He acted almost shy about it when I finally realized I was looking at his face. He's not ugly.. I just can't remember the features exactly."

"Not ugly as in handsome?"

Sakura shook her head, desperately trying to find Kakashi's bare face amongst her memories. "Not exactly. Look, I'll let you know if I see it again, okay? Though I doubt that will be necessary. He only goes sans mask during undercover missions I guess. Which reminds me, why did you not want to take this mission so badly? It's got great pay."

Ino flushed, something very out of character thus very hard to ignore. "Well you see.. Choji asked me to come stay at the compound this weekend. His cousin is getting married and I'm going to be his date."

"Aw Pig! That's great! Choji is such a babe these days. I just _know_ you'll enjoy yourself."

"Can it, Forehead!"

...

Like many missions before this one, Sakura found herself before the memorial stone to pay respects to the fallen shinobi. Staring at her shishou's name intently, Sakura was bombarded with a flood of memories that filled her heart with such warmth she could barely breath. "Arigato, Tsunade-sama." She whispered as she set the buttercups before the stone.

Bowing for a few long moments, Sakura then stood up on shaking legs. Up ahead she could make out her former sensei standing in a spot that had been worn down from constant visits. The pinkette only knew vaguely of Kakashi's past, but she also knew his past no longer caused the intense emotional turmoil that it used to. Sakura couldn't pinpoint exactly when she noticed a change in the Copy-nin, but one day he just started showing up where his former students were, just to enjoy their company. A few times she witnessed _Kakashi_ challenging Gai. She smiled softly and walked away quietly, not wanting to disturb him. They were scheduled to leave in an hour anyways.

Sakura didn't dare check the time as she waited on Kakashi. Instead she was biding her time with the most amiable pair of gatekeepers in Konoha by playing Hanafuda, and robbing Izumo blind.

"Ugh Sakura-san, how do you keep doing that? Are you cheating? I know you're cheating." Izumo groaned, owning a hardy chuckle from the dealer, Kotetsu.

"It isn't my fault you keep on betting every time you pull a kasu yaku!"

"She's right you know. You are a worst gambler than Tsunade-sama." They all laughed in agreement until Sakura felt a familiar chakra signature tickling her senses.

"Pay up, Izumo-san. I've got a Copy-ninja to chew out." Doing as he was told, Izumo coughed up a handful of bills while Kotetsu gathered up her cards.

"Do you keep hanafuda cards just so you can hustle guys like us?" Kotetsu asked with a knowing smirk.

Shrugging, Sakura turned to greet her former sensei. "You are three hours late. I showed up an hour late and you're _still_ hours later than I am. I just saw you this morning!"

"Ma ma, Sakura-chan." Kakashi ran a gloved hand through his messy hair, then scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "You see, I _was _here on time, but when I didn't see you I decided I could go catch a few more hours of shut eye."

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

"Really Sakura? The _biggest_? I didn't think it was my best work." He teased, walking past her out the gates. "Come on, we really need to get a move on. We're already behind schedule."

The kunoichi's jaw dropped open as he disappeared at top speed. "The nerve of that insufferable man.." Signing out her and Kakashi's name on the roster, she followed after him at a comfortable pace. If he thought she as chasing him, he had another thing coming.

...

"Ohayou Gozaimasu!" Sakura turned to see a pretty young woman sitting behind a large, marble counter. The kunoichi had been to many lavish places, but the Grand Palace Hotel took the cake. She walked up to the desk, noting that her partner had disappeared from sight.

"Ohayou!" Sakura glanced at her name-tag. "Natsumi-san. I'm checking in, I'm from Konoha."

Instant recognition shone on the young girls face and she disappeared behind a large, mahogany door before reappearing with three large files. "Hai, you must be Midori-san." Sakura had to keep from rolling her eyes. 'I swear Naruto does this to grate my nerves.'

"These files contain a list of all of our returning and first time guests in the past six months, a list of all the murder victims' name and village affiliations, a list of all the women whom have checked in alone this month, and murder reports." Natsumi spoke barely above a whisper, just loud enough for only Sakura to hear.

Backing away, the clerk's serious face molding into a beaming, welcoming smile. "Here is your room key, you've been booked for the split penthouse suite. All purchases made during your stay will be completely taken care of by the hotel. We hope that you can finish your job using _any _means necessary. Should you complete everything with the utmost discretion, you and your partner will be given priority member cards and are welcome to stay here anytime you want."

"Arigatou, Natsumi-san." Sakura bowed, accepting all of the paperwork and the keys in a large, white bag before proceeding to the elevator. She had had no idea how desperate the situation must have become. Sakura knew the mission budget was being taken care of by the hotel, but she hadn't known the lengths they were willing to go to ensure its patrons' safety.

Sakura rode the twenty floors in silence before stepping off the antique style elevator and into her room. The Grand Palace Hotel was located along the rocky beaches of Rock Country. Done in the style of traditional Japanese imperial bathhouses, every room was more breath taking than the last and Sakura couldn't help but feel embarrassed that a girl like her would be staying in the room reserved for the likes of royalty.

Slipping off her shoes and into a pair of soft slippers, Sakura stepped further into the room to see her former sensei sprawled across the bed, his face buried in a book.

"I hope you know that's my bed,"

He shrugged. "Sure sure, but this one is so much closer and I just couldn't go any further."

'But you had time to walk to the shower, clean up and get changed.' Shaking the anger from her thoughts, Sakura sat on the edge of the bed. "Here, read up on this and tell me your theories. I'm going to take a bath. We will start this mission tonight."

"Hai, Sakura-taichou." She turned to glare at his sarcastic tone but kept onwards nonetheless.

When she returned, refreshed and painfully sleepy, Sakura found Kakashi sitting at against the headboard, surrounded by papers and pictures. A hard, serious look of concentration on his face.

"So, what do you think, sensei?" Sakura asked as she sat down, combing the knots out of her hair.

Kakashi glanced upwards with an unreadable look in his lone, opened eye then focused back on the pictures. "Well, let's start with what we do know. This man is obviously a regular but considering this hotel is antique, as is their technology, it is impossible to tell whether or not he is using multiple aliases considering their are plenty of returning guests, many of them men that meet the killer's description."

"Mm." Sakura agreed. "He targets women, no particular taste it seems. Just loneliness and lots of money."

"But the puzzling part is that it is impossible to tell if this is the work of shinobi. He sleeps with almost all of these women, consensually, then tortures them with stark consistency, then makes off with their money. It looks like the killer is trained in torture and interrogation, but if that's true why would he settle for robbing single women? He could use these skills to capture ninja, and sell their information for easily three times the profit to the right buyer."

"That's why I think he is a civilian. Ninja, even the rogue ones, don't have so much use for money outside of basic needs. They prefer power over riches." Sakura bit her lip in concentration, ignoring the way the Cop-nin's eye kept glancing at her.

"That's a moot point, he could be a low rank ninja using money to buy power." He mused.

"Or he's just a sick bastard."

"Could be.. Well how do you want to go about doing this? If someone dies under our watch, they may take us off the job entirely."

"First I think we should try the easiest route. It may drain your chakra, but I've brought some emergency chakra pills should the need to use them arise." She glanced up to make sure he approved. "Okay, I want you to get the list of women currently checked in alone. Searched their rooms for scents, and track them down. You can either use Kage Bunshin to tail them, or your dogs. This place is dog friendly so it shouldn't matter. I want you to keep a watch as constant as you can without wearing yourself out."

"And you?"

"I'm going to try and catch this man's attention and maybe ask around the staff. All of the women he seduced were last seen either by the pool or in the casino. I'm going to be wearing an earpiece so we can stay in touch, if any reason you need to approach, do so as though we have never met and speak in code."

Sakura wasn't certain, but she was sure Kakashi was making a face. "Hai, Sakura-chan. But your work sounds much more like a vacation."

"Ugh. _I'm_ the one that will most likely have to be seduced by him. _I'm _the one who will have to undergo intense therapy should something go wrong and he somehow manages to torture me near death."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Sakura, we both know that's hardly a valid excuse. You've received twice as much training as the rest of us when it comes to withstanding torture. Tsunade always made sure medic-nin were given specific treatment since they are so often targeted."

Sakura chuckled, a small smile that seemed to light up her face. "Guilty. Well I certainly wasn't counting on you reading my file, however you got ahold of it."

"I have my ways." She gave him a pointed stare. "Alright, I just asked for it."

Sakura laughed when he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "I only have one problem.."

"Which is?"

"I have nothing to wear.." Kakashi rolled his eyes. "No, hear me out. If tracking these women doesn't work, if he is a shinobi and notices your presence, the mission will have to fall on me. I can't attract anyone looking like this."

She flushed as the Copy-nin's eyes roamed over her, taking in her appearance. "I don't see why not." He stated matter-of-factly, the pinkette noted a small smirk wrinkling at the corner of his eye.

"Well, I-I just can't alright? These people are high class."

"Tsk tsk. Money doesn't by class. Take me for example, I have no money but I am brimming with class." Sakura couldn't tell if he was joking.

"Just call the front desk and ask them to bring up some clothes, okay? Whatever is in style. Size 0 dress, size 7 shoes."

"What about your undergarments?" He chuckled when Sakura's eyes widened comically, completely taken aback that he would suggest such a thing. "You know what kind of mission this could be. So try and remain professional, Sakura-chan."

Sighing with defeat, Sakura hung her head and spoke quietly, as though ashamed of the size. "30A, small bottoms."

"Aa, thought as much." Sakura's head shot upwards to ask exactly what that was supposed to mean and why he was ever thinking about it, but he was already in the next room talking to the front desk. Sakura waited patiently for Kakashi to return, her eyes straying to the book-jacket of his precious book he'd left behind.

"Sakura."

"Hm?" She glanced his way, looking very guilty.

"I'm going to start my surveillance. Your earpiece is in my pack. Get some rest then we'll rendezvous in the bathroom of the casino, the one located near the south entrance." She stared at him, bemused. "I memorized the building's layout."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." She smiled sweetly, thankful for the few hours of rest. "Arigatou."

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile that turned his eyes into two crescent moons.

...


	5. Chapter 5

**AN Thanks guys for the love. I know I probably shouldn't update so quickly in fear of hitting a wall at some point, but I cannot stop. Insatiable, I am. I kind of used a somewhat cliche plot point for this. Love it or hate it? You guys are _super_ cool and I like every one of you for your support! Please R&R, it brightens my stressful days. xoxo**

**Next chapter I _finally_ get to write in a Kakashi POV**

**FYI This is very much rated M**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Five

Sakura leaned against the polished, brightly painted walls of the casino, looking more like she was ready to attack rather than lounging languidly. But she simply couldn't help it, these missions were not the kind she enjoyed. One can only investigate so much until they have to wait for someone to make a move. The petal-haired kunoichi was really only good at three things: poisoning, healing, and beating the fuck out of something and so far _none_ of that had happened. And to make matters worst she was prancing about in heels and flashy red dresses like some spoiled, trust-fund kid from Ame.

"_See anything? Over."_ Sakura sighed, this was the fifth time in the hour Kakashi had asked her that. She said she would inform him of any suspicious activities.

"_No, I have not. Over."_

"_Of course you haven't. You're just standing there. Over."_

The grip on Sakura's glass had her knuckles turning white and it took everything in her to not hurl her drink at the Copy-nin. Of course she had absolutely no clue where he was located. _"I am pretty sure I am supposed to be leader of this mission. Over."_

"_You would be, but you're doing a poor job and I merely accept the roll of leadership when it is thrust upon me. Over." _She hated how calm and cool he sounded. He wasn't being stern, simply stating a fact, it irked her.

"_Meet me in the bathroom. Now. Over and out." _Sakura shut off her earpiece and stalked to the ladies room. Once inside, she checked the stalls and put a seal on the door so that the only people who could enter or exit were her and Kakashi, otherwise it would appear as though the door disappeared.

She didn't want to be so frustrated, but Sakura couldn't help it. This mission at first seemed easy, but the more time that passed without any substantial evidence, the more Sakura and Kakashi had time to come up with even _more _complicated theories behind the mysterious murders.

The sound of Sakura's toe tapping impatiently on the tiled floor was interrupted when Kakashi unceremoniously skidded into the bathroom. It caught Sakura off guard. Her former sensei was nothing if not a perfect example of grace and strength, but now he looked bedraggled, and judging by the discreet trembling of his shoulders Sakura could see he was past the point of over-exertion. At the sight, her anger quickly evaporated.

As if sensing her scrutiny, the silver-haired man's gait fell into the familiar slouch of apathy, but Sakura could not be fooled. "Kakashi-sensei. I told you not to overdo it, or to at least tell me when you did."

Let it be known that Sakura could count on two fingers the number of times her former sensei had lost his cool, both of those times were protecting his students. However Sakura had the feeling that she would soon need to add another tally to that list because even though only one of Kakashi's eyes were visible, it lacked that lazy, careless glint he was known for. She only hoped she herself could remain calm. Sakura always had trouble backing out of a fight, verbal or physical. It rarely mattered if she was wrong or right, it could have been something about pride.

"Sakura. Do _not _scold me about overdoing it. This plan was your idea, and five days ago it may have seemed plausible, but here we are empty handed."

Sakura huffed and took a sip of her drink, trying to remain calm. "If you so obviously find my leadership lacking, then maybe you should suggest a better plan?"

Kakashi took a step forward causing Sakura to instinctively take a step back until her shoulder blades came in contact with the cold, marble wall behind her. "I _did_ suggest a better plan, Sakura. Then you called me a pervert."

That was it, she snapped. And she hated herself for it while it was happening. Throwing her drink on the floor, the sound of glass shattering rang loudly in their ears, but not as loudly as Sakura's shrill, angry tone. "That is because what you suggested makes me seem like a glorified whore! I can't just fucking sleep with every guy that approaches me and you _know _it!"

"Then what was the goddamn point of inventing that drug if you're too big of a coward to use it?" He demanded, his exhaustion fueling his anger. Kakashi was towering over her and Sakura was sure he must have seen her shaking slightly. He had never talked to her like this before, and Sakura now understood why people really feared him. Hatake Kakashi, when provoked, was one of the most terrifying people she'd ever met.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi took a step back and watched as Sakura let out the breath she had been holding. "Sakura-chan.." His voice was softer, maybe a little ashamed, something the pinkette hadn't heard in years. "It's just that I can only be in so many places at once for so long. Even my ninken need their rest. I think it is time for a change of plan."

Sakura nodded mutely, fidgeting with the short hem of her ruby-red dress. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears and a scorching blush was making its way from the valley of her breasts to her hairline. Unable to meet his gaze, she focused instead on the glass scattered about the floor, and thought about how prettily the low lighting of the bathroom illuminated the shards.

Her voice was strong as she spoke, even though her eyes were vacantly focused on the floor. "I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei. It's just.. This wasn't supposed to be my mission. I took it as a favour. I was hoping we could accomplish the goal without having to resort to such extreme measures. I'm not very experienced at these missions, that was why I invented the drug. However it works best when paired with a simple genjutsu and I never had the time to develop one of my own. Each one has to be personal, y'know."

"If you knew you weren't right for this mission then why did you agree to go?"

"Because at first I had Neji-san as a partner, he could've sniffed out this guy in no time with his Byakugan. So when I was told you were the replacement I came up with an alternate plan. I trusted we could finish it this way."

Kakashi nodded in understanding, and Sakura saw the way he scratched the back of his neck. She probably sounded like she was guilting him, but maybe she was. "Why don't we head back to the room and discuss this, ne? I'll put a seal on the remaining single women's doors so I'll be notified should they return. A good lot of them have returned home anyways." Sakura nodded and walked out of the bathroom first, followed not too closely by Kakashi.

...

"I have a plan!" Sakura said suddenly, causing Kakashi to nearly spill his tea. He stared at her, bored and a tad annoyed, so Sakura continued excitedly. "How about this. There is a huge gala tomorrow night. Maybe we could somehow drug all the unattended women so that they sleep through the gala and remain in their room until the next day! That way I will be the only girl left without an escort."

"That is assuming he is in fact here and that he decides to strike tonight."

"But if he is here, then why wouldn't he strike? It would be the perfect opportunity. A perfect scenario for a handsome guy to prey on a lonely woman."

Kakashi eyed her suspiciously. "Let's say you get him alone. And let's say he is a civilian. Then you would.."

"Put him under a genjutsu-"

"That you do not have in you arsenal. Then if he's a shinobi, genjutsu will most likely be out of the question."

"That isn't entirely true, I'm a very accomplished genjutsu user, thank you very much." She huffed, stubbornly crossing her arms across her chest.

The silver-haired shinobi chuckled, a warm, quiet noise that subtly reminded Sakura of how attractive she found him. "I never said you weren't. I'm only saying that you can not use a genjutsu you've never been taught or subjected to. Knowing how to cast a genjutsu and knowing how to set the scene flawlessly are two very different things. A civilian, you could easily fool. But a trained shinobi? Your genjutsu would have to be so perfectly executed that you yourself almost believe it."

Sakura bit her lip and began twisting the ends of her bubblegum locks so that they were tangled around her fingers. Her sexual experiences were limited. It was hard to treat sex as something to be cherished when she lived in a world where the only thing to be cherished is the safety of the village. She _did _ sleep with Genma, but so did everyone else. It was merely an act of drunk desperation brought on by the fact that she was assigned her first seduction mission the next morning. However on that mission the man was timid and inexperienced and gave in to her demands far too easily. She had no inspiration to draw from.

"Do you have a genjustu like that, sensei?" Sakura asked innocently, in just a way that made her partner cough.

"Yes, I do, in a matter of speaking." He regained composure. "I would have used it that night on Kouryou if not for the seal on the compound." Sakura's face turned bright red and she diverted her eyes.

"Would you teach it to me?" Her voice timid and embarrassed, a colour Sakura never wore well in her opinion.

"I'm not sure I see the point, Sakura. You're a trained kunoichi, a jounin captain of the Leaf. If you can't handle a simple seduction mission then maybe you don't deserve the title." Sakura winced, unable to disagree with him. "I want to help you, Sakura-chan, but I can't hold your hand and guide your way anymore. You're a grown woman and you need to learn to shoulder the responsibility you accepted."

Sakura sighed, biting back her tears because she knew he was right and it was making her miserable. "Kakashi-sensei, you once told me that sometimes our desire for responsibility outweighs our ability to handle it and that I should never be ashamed to ask for help when I need it."

"I did say that, huh?" Kakashi agreed. It was when she first made jounin and was worried she would screw everything up on her first solo mission. In the end, she did need help and had to call for back-up. Kakashi and Sai had shown up in no time. "Okay, fine. I will help you with this. But I expect you to remain as professional as possible about it."

Sakura nodded, but inwardly she was rolling her eyes. 'As professional as having someone call you sensei while you're..' She shook the thought from her head and focused. "Hai, Sensei. Just tell me what to do."

The Copy-nin when about showing her how to visualize the hand signs so as to not alert the enemy of her doings, which was something Sakura already knew how to do but listened intently anyways. Once they were finished he sighed, looking much more flustered than he meant to.

"Okay, now this is the hard part. He will undoubtedly agree to come to your room, so you need to memorize every detail of the room, but if you can't you can simply use the visual I am going to provide you with. If you use the drug, then he will forget the event took place, but the trick is making him believe while it is happening. Try and think of how everything looks from every single angle." Sakura continued to nod, stifling a yawn at the lesson she had heard a million times before.

"Kakashi-sensei. I don't mean to be rude, but can we get to the root of this point? I already know all of this."

His eye curved into a smile. "No problem with giving a little review. What kind of teacher would I be if I couldn't at least give you that much?"

"A not boring one?"

"Alright alright. So you using the drug, correct?" She nodded. "How about then you try to cast a genjutsu on me and we will see if it is believable. Try to draw from your memory, or use your imagination."

Sakura's face flushed. "Like.. a sexy one?"

"Yes, _Sakura_. A sexy one." He sighed at her word choice.

Stilling for a moment, Sakura tried to recall her sexual experiences again but still couldn't provide the visuals in vivid detail. She shook her head and spoke honestly. "I really can't, Kakashi-sensei."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't." She answered simply. Sakura knew Kakashi would look underneath the underneath and read her implications so she wouldn't have to spell it out. Unless he wanted to torment her.

"Okay, then this is going to be much more uncomfortable than I originally thought." His voice faltered.

"How so?" Sakura turned to look her former sensei in the eyes, but only this time he was without his mask. She gasped with surprise. "Why is your mask down?"

Without a word, the silver-haired man rose from the lounge chair over to the edge of her bed. Her heart began to jump wildly in her chest as his lazy, mismatched eyes drew closer and closer to her face. He pressed his lips against hers in a soft, but deliberate fashion, coaxing her mouth open until she complied. The feeling of his tongue slipping across her bottom lip sent shivers down her spine and it took everything in Sakura not to moan.

The kunoichi was minutely aware of her body bending back onto the bed, or the way Kakashi's effortlessly lifted her up and placed her against the pillows. He pulled away and stared her into her beryl-green eyes. "W-What are you doing?" Sakura whispered, unable to control the way her voice cracked when he began to unbutton the pajama shirt she stole from his room.

The Copy-nin ignored her question and instead began to kiss her shoulder roughly, unbuttoning the rest of her shirt in a hurried manner. Sakura gasped when the cold air rushed onto her now bare chest. She knew she should feel exposed or uncomfortable, but the way her former sensei's fingers were toying with her small, pert nipple had her mind unable to grasp words.

"Kakashi-sensei.." She groaned, unable to stop herself. From that point his slow, careful actions morphed into something more hungry. Kakashi's labored breath tickled her skin as he pressed wet kisses at any point of exposed skin he could find, and suddenly Sakura felt overwhelmed with the need to make him feel the way he was her, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Using her strength, Sakura pushed Kakashi off of her long enough to tear off his shirt. She ran her fingers, calloused but long and slender, across his bare chest and stomach, reveling in the way his lean muscles twitched under her touch.

He leaned forward, pressing their bare skin together and Sakura sighed at how perfectly sensual his body felt against hers. "Sakura.." He breathed into her ear. She shivered at the way his baritone voice had dropped a few keys to a low, dark noise that dripped of sex. For a moment her mind strayed from the situation, wondering why suddenly he was doing this, but before she could question any further, the rosette the Copy-nin's strong, muscular thigh part her legs and press roughly against her, sending a violent wave of tremors through her. She groaned his name, loud and unrestrained at the way he continued to grind against the spot where all of her desire was accumulating.

The kunoichi could feel her name being moaned into her ear, but the sound was disjointed and somehow clashed oddly with the feeling of slowly being brought higher and higher into the air. Sakura wasn't sure how to react to the sudden loss of control she had over her body. Her voice was foreign and strange, sounding like some other soul lost in rapture. That was the feeling, she realized, complete rapture. Just as the word flitted across her mind, Sakura was falling, white filling her vision. She tried to grasp Kakashi, digging her nails into his back for some type of stability, but her body continued to shake, the muscles in her legs twitching involuntarily.

Slowly, however the feeling melted away and Sakura felt satisfied but somehow unfulfilled. Kakashi pulled pack and looked into her eyes, his face was flushed and metallic strands of hair were plastered to his forehead. "I am going to have sex with you, Sakura-chan." Despite his voice being honest and sensual, the look in his eyes were inconsistent to the mood. They were blank, but somehow her body responded for her by nodding dumbly and in a matter of moments he was pulling off her underwear. Feeling a tad useless, Sakura worked at taking off his fitting, black trousers.

Once they were both naked, Kakashi wasted no time in plunging himself into his former student. Sakura gasped in surprised, but couldn't argue. The feeling of his rhythmic thrusts were causing the warm desire to pool in her lower abdomen again and all she could think was why wasn't he going faster. But apparently she voiced her thoughts because he picked up speed. He was furiously pulling her hair to give him leverage to kiss her ear and neck, there was something about this unexpected side of this man that both excited and frightened her.

Suddenly she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her flush against the hard, moist body of her once teacher. Somehow she couldn't stop herself from calling out his name, remembering to add the honorific. He pushed deeper inside of her until a familiar feeling washed over her, only this time it came in crashing waves. Her muscles jerked and clamped around him causing his movements to become sporadic. Kakashi pulled away only momentarily to kiss her deeply as he emptied himself into her, and then Sakura fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

...


	6. Chapter 6

**AN Okay, real talk? I am so fucking sorry for how long it has taken me update. . " I'm a student of Chinese and moving on to second year has been like trying to survive Z-Day without water or knowledge of how to swing a baseball bat... That, and I just got a teaching job. So I haven't had any time whatsoever, which is a mad drag. I mean, the only time I get to read fanfiction, or books in general, is if I make them into audiobooks via macbook. TAT I initially planned on writing and uploading a chapter or two then having a Halloween themed section, but alas my window has passed. So please bear with my flakiness. Anyways, enough of the excuses. I hope you enjoy! I worry it is a tad short.. Regardless, you guys are truly super great! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Six

Sakura's eyes fluttered open and a feeling of dread settled over her uncomfortably, causing her body to writhe with confusion for a few moments before sitting up to survey her surroundings. After a brief inventory of the room the azalea-haired girl noted that nothing appeared out of place then let her gaze fall to her attire. She was still wearing her pajamas, although they were disheveled as though she'd spent the night tossing and turning through a dream. At the mere internal mention of the word 'dream,' the memories of the night before flooded rapidly into her mind, casting a thick fog over her inhibitions.

'_That fucking prick..'_ She felt the whisper of her subconscious tickling her senses, urging the rosette to pick herself out of bed and swiftly make her way into the adjoined suite.

Sakura would later comment that her actions had been brash, ruthless, and more than a little crazy, but none of those self-supplied accusations were followed by feelings of regret. For, truthfully, she simply couldn't recall her actions well enough to form a proper opinion. Although the medic did remember the aftermath vividly.

The young jounin stared intently, her brow furrowed in concentration, at the now broken jaw of Hatake Kakashi. His head was positioned in her lap and Sakura could faintly make out the presence of tears gathering in the corner of his visible, charcoal eye. Sakura bit her lip in frustration. She hadn't meant to break his jaw so thoroughly, or at all really. And yet here she was, frowning at the slow pull of chakra draining from her main reserves while bones and ligaments reattached themselves under her careful precision. She lamented at the thought of having to use her emergency reserve of chakra in the unlikely event of a full on disaster.

"Sakura, it's fine. I can just ice it. It doesn't hurt that bad." Her frown deepened at his suggestion and she huffed indignantly.

"It's my fault this happened. Well, it's mostly my fault. And I can't have the help doing their job in anything less than perfect condition." She clipped, ignoring the glare burning into the corner of her eye and continued to pour chakra into his jaw, slowly reducing the swelling and the pain.

Kakashi sighed loudly and Sakura could feel his warm breath caress her hands and wrists. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I just-"

"Stop." She interrupted quickly. "I understand why you did it. It's just.." Sakura removed her hands from his face, letting them fall to her sides, and exhaling. "Just so embarrassing." She finished, laughing bitterly.

Kakashi then quickly sat up to face her properly, pulling up his mask in the process before she could catch another look. "So you're not angry?" He asked, guilt visible in his loan eye.

"Of course I'm angry! I'm fucking furious, you crow! But.. I get it. So can we please not talk about this? _Ever?_" He nodded compliantly and Sakura made her way into the bathroom. As the hot water rolled down her body she began to think about the previous night. Sakura completely understood why Kakashi would cast a genjutsu in that matter. Not only was she given an opportunity to see just how easily it was to fall prey to that kind of genjutsu, but it was even easier to be convinced it was completely real. And also, she was so incredibly nervous that Sakura knew for a fact had he given her time to prepare herself, she wouldn't have been concentrated enough to learn anything. She sighed with the realization that she would never eject those falsified memories from her brain.

'Could I have been anymore pathetically obvious about my attraction towards him?'

_'Yes, probably.'_ Her conscience replied.

'He probably thinks I'm insane and totally unprofessional..' Then she recalled her conversation with Ino. If Kakashi was, in fact, attracted to the petal-haired medic, then this entire ordeal would leave him reeling, especially if he wasn't expecting her reactions.

_'Unless he was projecting a past experience that most mirrored how he expected you to react.'_ She snarled aloud, putting inner struggle to rest and focused, instead, on readying herself for a long day and an even longer evening.

...

"I look like an idiot." Sakura proclaimed loudly to her spectators, which included Kakashi, Pakkun, and Bull, the rest running a security check.

Kakashi chuckled, and Sakura couldn't help but notice the twinkling amusement on the observable corner of his face. Although she kept forgetting to mentally commit his bare face to memory, she had a feeling he looked right handsome beneath all of that dark fabric. "You look fine, Sakura-chan. Although, I think shorter hair suits you better."

Said girl scowled, playing with the tips of her bubblegum-pink locks, making a note to cut her hair once the mission was complete.

Pakkun and bull nodded in agreement, although their feelings on the matter were unclear beneath the wrinkled, lazy expressions they constantly donned. "Although you don't smell nearly as good." Pakkun comment wryly.

"That's because I don't want to smell like a dog!" She argued, turning back to the mirror to glare at her reflection.

"Did you ever think that maybe Pakkun just smells like a young human girl? That's certainly stranger." Bull offered, causing a grin to break across Sakura's face. Her celadon orbs dropped down to her dress, tugging at the fabric, vainly trying to make more appear until she felt a strong hand grasping her shoulder.

"Sakura, you look fine. Beautiful, even." Her gaze settled on the reflection of the Copy-Nin and the way the corner of his eye crinkled with an honest smile.

"Thanks.." She blushed. Sakura knew deep down that he was right, she really did look beautiful, but a few nights dressed like this hadn't made the girl anymore accustomed. The hotel had provided her with a stylist and Sakura spent the entire day being pampered, which was equally uncomfortable as it was comfortable. The styling team had settled for having her wear a black gown that stopped mid-thigh, but continued to flow behind her, the tip of the lacy fabric just barely grazing the floor. The dress had a high neck with long sleeves, while her tone, feminine back was left naked and exposed. Even her long hair had been brushed over her shoulder to leave her back uncovered.

Suddenly, the sounds of consecutive transportation jutsu being used resounded throughout the suite, effectively drawing Sakura's attention from the girl in the mirror and refocusing it to the mission at hand. Viridian eyes swept across the pack, every time she saw them altogether, Sakura couldn't help but think the dogs planned their positions, because they always seemed picture ready. Having been far too preoccupied to pay them any attention the past few days, the kunoichi took a few steps towards them and began petting them all affectionately, though being mindful to keep a safe distance lest they lick off her make-up or leave her with the lingering scent of dog, purposefully forgetting the pug's choice in shampoo.

"Wow Sakura-san! You look pretty! We've missed you!" Her eyes shot to the small tan one she knew to be Bisuke, easily the cutest name.

"Thanks, sweets. I've been on some extensive missions. But I promise to buy you all sausages when we get home!" She stood and and couldn't stifle the giggle at their near tangible excitement.

"Alright." Kakashi cut in with a stern voice, and immediately the hounds were standing at attention and listening intently. "What's the status?" He questioned seriously, although his outward appearance was lazy and tired, as though he barely cared enough to hold himself up.

Pakkun, the obvious second-in-command, leapt onto Bull's head to answer his pack-mate. "Take Sumiko, Izumi Leiko, Hamaya Yoi, Matsu Usagi, and Okayama Tora have all successfully ingested the sleep-inducing drug and are currently dead asleep. The seals you placed are in affect, so if anyone bearing a chakra signature over the civilian level tries to enter the room, then one of us will be summoned."

Sakura and Kakashi both nodded, having memorized nearly every female guest staying at the resort, Kakashi of course much faster. Then the medic cocked her head to the side before speaking up. "But wait, isn't there another woman?"

Kakashi turned and stared at her questioningly until realization lit up his visible eye. "Sakura's right. Oosaka Kiku. She must have skipped out on her scheduled lunch." He failed to notice the face Sakura pulled at her name. Something about being named after a flower irked her. She chose to ignore the irony of that inner comment, seeing as how she was in fact named after a cherry blossom tree.

"So what do we do? We're going to be scouting the resort for the rest of the night." Bull spoke, eyeing his pack-leader curiously.

Kakashi sighed in defeat, as though he'd known the answer but was trying desperately to avoid it. "I'll distract her." He stated without further explanation. Ignoring the odd pang of jealousy that shot through her sharply, Sakura nodded in agreement and left it at that.

...

Sakura groaned for the hundredth time as she stared across the cacophony of colourful, well-dressed patrons as they swirled and glided across the floor, the lights from a dozen chandeliers making them all shine like diamonds. It was all so beautiful. But she couldn't help but wish she had at least used a henge on her hair, for even though the party-goers adorned beautiful and vibrant garments, Sakura's cotton candy pink hair somehow managed to attract the eyes of everyone she came in contact with. It was a bonus because while Kakashi was _distracting_ Oosaka Kiku, their target would inevitably turn himself in by seeking out the only woman without a date. The only negative repercussion being if someone recognized her. Sakura hadn't made many Bingo Books, it was still a possibility she had forgotten to take into account. _If you can find flaw in your plan, the enemy can find it faster._ Sakura recalled her former sensei's words with a sense of dread.

'He must be losing his touch if he didn't consider this as well.' She thought wryly.

_'Or maybe he just trusts that your hair is an advantage in being spotted by our target and that you can handle yourself should something go awry.'_ Her inner-self quickly countered. Sakura shrugged the doubts from her mind and took a deep, calming breath in an attempt to absorb any confidence oozing off someone nearby.

In the distance, Sakura noticed what she assumed to be a kage bunshin of Kakashi dancing with a pretty older woman she knew to be Kiku. He was without his mask and deigning traditional garb, but the roseate-haired girl could not, for the life of her, make out his facial features. But his presence made her feel more at ease regardless.

"Do you mind if I bother you with a request?" Sakura jumped slightly at the deep voice that grazed her ear, and cursed herself at letting her guard slip.

"Depends on the request.." She turned to meet the eyes of whom she could only assume was her target. He was tall, and ruggedly handsome. His attire implied he had plenty of money, but lacked that certain sense of class that suggested he was from old money. Dark, sandy hair and a tanned complexion, tightened from hours of work outdoors, framed a piercing pair of light, brown eyes. At first glance, the man standing a good six inches above her held the appearance of a friendly, outgoing guy. But upon further inspection, Sakura could see the sinister way his eyes gleamed, almost hungrily.

The taller man shrugged. "I was thinking about a dance.."

Disregarding her mission for a moment, Sakura made a pained face that Kakashi would surely have accosted her for. One of the reasons she wanted to become a shinobi was because she ended up being a terrible dancer, that and she wanted to get close to Sasuke. The thought of her former teammate pulled her stomach into a loose knot that she quickly brushed away. "I'm just not in the mood for dancing.." She replied with a charming smile.

"Seems like you picked the wrong place, then." He chuckled, a nice but forced sound. "How about a drink instead?" The kunoichi nodded, allowing him to guide her to the bar, the rough pads of his hands brushing against the sensitively exposed small of her back.

"Vodka, neat, four olives." Sakura offered before he could ask, earning her a devilishly handsome smile in return. Once there drinks had arrived, her stranger wasted no time in plowing her for information, in turn allowing her a chance to subtly gather some herself.

"So what's your story?" He asked politely, but she merely stared at him until he flushed with embarrassment. "How rude of me! My name is Keisuke." He held out a hand and Sakura grasped it more firmly than necessary.

"My name is Midori." She shrugged and took a long sip from her drink. "I'm a dancer from Kumo. Just vacationing here. I just caught my husband cheating on me, so I'm using the settlement money for this long, much-needed vacation." Sakura said smoothly, trying to seem apathetic, and a tad bitter. She felt Keisuke's bright eyes watching her far too closely before they softened and he smiled sympathetically.

"Ah, Kumo. I do a lot of business in Lightning Country." Sakura's ears piped up at his admission. Last she'd heard, the Hokage was still trying to uncover all of the Lightning Daimyou's contacts and connections. Any lead on such a subject meant a pay-raise. "A dancer who doesn't like to dance. So strange. And a young divorcee at that. You seem far too young to have been married.."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders again and finished her drink before turning to meet his gaze. "It isn't very hard for a young, pretty enough dancer to become some business mogul's trophy." She said bitterly before smiling up at Keisuke. "But I did get half of his earned profit during our short marriage, and the house."

"Some lawyer.."

"I'll drink to that!" Sakura giggled, ordering them two more drinks and watching carefully as the bartender warily poured the small vial of liquid Kakashi had given him hours before into Keisuke's scotch. It was twice the required dosage, giving her an hour and a half to get him back to her room, which wouldn't be too hard given that his eyes never strayed too far from her lips, neck, and collarbone.

Within the next half hour, the pinkette had managed to loosen her target's tongue quite efficiently. Keisuke was obviously not a heavy drinker as his dark, caramel skin had begun to flush a charming shade of light magenta and he was nearly sitting in her lap as he jawed about his business, "Fine Arts Dealer!" He proclaimed proudly, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he waited for Sakura's reaction. The kunoichi fought the urge to roll her eyes at his pompous lie but smiled excitedly, feigning the appearance of a very drunk, very impressed young woman. She turned to nod at the bartender who gave her a strangely hollow expression, then made a quick scan across the hall until her eyes landed on the Cop-Nin. He looked away from Kiku long enough to match her line of sight, but the look he shot her was confusing. He was grinning at her in the strangest of ways, and she somehow still couldn't see his face.

"How about we go someplace more quiet, Midori-chan?" Sakura whipped back around towards Keisuke and nodded in agreement. Attempting to shake off the odd feeling Kakashi's smile had given her, Sakura followed closely behind Keisuke while also trying not be concerned that they were nearing his suite instead of her own.

...

**vodka, neat, four olives; otherwise known as the 'too cool to care tini'**


	7. Chapter 7

**An Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is short! School man, school. Anyways! Thanks so much for the positive feedback! Means so much to me! Please R&R! xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Seven

Sakura sat down on the plush sofa of Keisuke's suite, half-heartedly listening to his slurred speech from the other room as he poured a drink. From the sound of it, he was torn into three different directions: uncontrollable arousal, intense inebriation, and exhaustion. So during that time the kunoichi took a chance to glance around the suite, slowly piecing together why everything about this situation seemed off.

Firstly, all of the reports stated that the culprit consistently coerced an invitation back to the victim's suite, not his own, if he had rented a room at all. Secondly, Sakura could faintly remember seeing his name on the check-in sheet the hotel provided. Keisuke was a prime member, she recalled. And easily the most important component to this change of events was that Sakura, much to her horror, could feel the effects of her own drug slowly working its way through her bloodstream. She knew that she must have been so focused on drugging Keisuke that she'd dismissed the idea that the bartender, who was working under _her_ command, might have somehow been bribed into drugging the medic as well.

"Mother fucker." She muttered under breath. During the development of iku-hontou, Sakura knew the exact amount that would take her under. Her reserves were still, much to her dismay, rather low. She barely had enough to break down the drug altogether.

"Here you go.." The pinkette looked up to see Keisuke smiling down at her, holding out a drink, and for a moment she felt a stab of pity for him. As quickly as she could manage, Sakura stumbled to her feet, threw her arms around the man's neck, and hit a pressure point that left him crumbling to the ground, the drinks spilling onto the carpeted floor.

Falling back onto the sofa to catch her breath, Sakura yanked up her small silver clutch and pulled out a radio. "Hello? Is anyone there? Over."

"Sakura." Between the huffing of breath and static, the medic could barely make out the sound of the small pug's voice. "We have a situation. Bull! You and Shiba keep on, I'll catch up." Pakkun took a few, deep labored breaths. "I've been trying to call you for an hour."

The roseate-haired girl felt her heart jump into her throat with anxiety. "What.." She choked out.

"About and hour ago, every seal placed on the doors were triggered, so nearly all of us were summoned. Rogue-nin. They've lead us out of the resort and we've been tailing them nonstop." He paused to take another breath and Sakura fought to keep her heavy eyelids from closing completely. She barely had any time left to fight off the drug. "Kakashi radioed us, telling us to pursue the nin and that he would handle it. Since then, his radio has been turned off."

Sakura continued to push small amounts of chakra through her system to fight off the drug and stood unsteadily to her feet. The conflicting feelings of arousal and fatigue were battling with her intense anxiety about the situation. Clumsily she made her way to the elevator and leaned again the cool glass. "Pakkun. Are you still there?"

"Yeah. Spit it out, we're losing time." She could tell he had begun his chase once again.

Her jade-green eyes widened in terror at remembering the odd grin her former-sensei had given her, and she finally understood what had transpired. "I'm sorry, I.. Pakkun, that wasn't Kakashi who called you.. It was a henge, a really fucking good one. It had to have been. Which means that.. That this man knew we were here.. He knew the plan.. He knew we had the.. the uh..and.. drugged me." Sakura trailed off, her body falling into her suite as the elevator doors open.

"They knew we were coming." Pakkun stated to himself, seriously. "Sakura. Focus." She nodded, forcing herself upright. "All the women are safe and accounted for, except Kiku. Remember the objective. Find her first and get her to safety. Then find Kakashi."

The young jounin felt tears of frustration begin to stream down her cheeks. The arousal and the extreme fatigue were making it hard to stay in control. Finally reaching her pack, she swallowed a soldier pill to stave of the effects for as long as possible, the sudden burst of adrenaline nauseated her. "H-hai. He'll be okay, right?"

"It takes a lot to overcome Kakashi. Gotta go." Then he suddenly cut out. She tried not to focus on the fact that it seemed as though Kakashi had already been overpowered.

Taking a few moments to dry heave and choke for air, Sakura tore off her dress and began rummaging through her things to assemble her gear. "Okay." She spoke out loud, mentally calculating the time left until she passed out completely from the iku-hontou. It took a pretty lousy poison specialist to have her own drug used against her without a viable antidote. The possibility that she had practically handed over her work to an enemy-nin irked her, but she had to put that on the back burner. "If I keep my chakra going, I'll have an hour left. Unless..." She took a moment to pull on her regulation pants and long-sleeve shirt, fastening on her boots. The pinkette strapped on her weapons and poison pouches onto each thigh, her medical kit around her waist, and lastly secured the olive-green pack containing scrolls around her shoulder.

Sakura took another minute to still herself and think of her shishou. Tsunade never let anyone get the best of her, no matter how much it may have broken her heart or exhausted her body in the process. Her last breath was spent helping others, not whining about her inevitable demise. The Godaime would be disgusted in Sakura's behavior at that moment. The medic opened her eyes once more, a new sense of vigor taking her over.

Knowing the longterm consequences, but understanding that this was her best chance at completing the objective, Sakura resorted to doing something she had yet to attempt. Bringing a fist to her lips, Sakura bit the soft pad of her thumb and pressed the tiny drop of blood to her just below her hairline. A small, magenta rhombus-like shape appeared on her forehead, a marking bestowed upon her by her former shishou shortly before her death, a seal that slowly accumulated chakra. Sakura felt the Yin Seal to be a last resort trump card. And she kept the gift private, something she would always hold close and personally to her heart as a symbol of Tsunade's love, respect, and pride for the girl. But in this moment she knew that saving Kiku and locating Kakashi took priority over all matters, and if that meant revealing her hidden jutsu, then so be it. The kunoichi refused to fail this mission.

Taking one last glance at the clock, Sakura realized that she had left the gala just over an hour ago. Panic jerked her senses into high alert and the medic formed the hand signs accompanied with the seal and gasped when her body glowed, pulsating violently with chakra.

With speeds previously unreached, Sakura jumped from the window and latched her chakra-laden feet to the outer walls of the hotel, springing to the direction of Kiku's room. The cool, crisp Autumn air whipped around her body, nipping at the exposed skin of her face, stinging her eyes.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon!" The pinkette urged harshly, pushing herself to move faster. The drugs had been all but burned from her system.

Skidding to a stop, Sakura nearly lost her balance and quickly grasped the ledge of the mezzanine above Kiku's room. The moment her feet touched the balcony of Kiku's suite, a sense of foreboding set over the young jounin. It was quiet and not even the tiniest flicker of chakra could be felt from inside the room. Flipping on her radio, Sakura vainly attempted to reach the Copy-nin, but was only met with silence.

'_Quit wasting time, girl! Get ahold of yourself and open the damn door! This _is_ your mission.' _She scoffed lightly at herself and turned the handle of the door. Surprised that it was unlocked, Sakura stumbled inside and immediately vomited at the sight before her. Hot, sour bile burned her throat and she realized, sadly, that this was the second time in half and hour she'd gotten sick.

Sakura stood straight again and wiped the tears from her face. Glancing around the room, she tried to collect any clues that were not staring her down in the face. Taking note of the emptied drawers, broken liquor cabinet, discarded kamishimo, and the thin wires strung bout the room before her jade orbs fell back to the center of the room, a area she had been trying desperately to avoid looking since her arrival.

It was Kiku, and Sakura bit her lip as she slowly made her way to the woman, in hopes that when she checked her pulse that she would find a beat, even the faintest of hint of one however unlikely. The chakra wires woven through out the room were tightly wound around the older woman's wrists and neck, suspending her in the air, and beneath the woman was a large puddle of blood, which was still growing. Her nude, once flawless skin was marred with bruises and nearly microscopic incisions, and Sakura could tell from the ashen shade of green her lips and fingernails had become, that Kiku had been severely poisoned. Cutting her down, Sakura swiftly caught the woman and shivered at the feel of Kiku's icy skin through her shirt. Setting her down, Sakura checked her pulse and did a quick chakra scan over her body.

Though the lack of a heartbeat didn't surprise her, Sakura still felt short of breath and utterly hopeless as a result. A gasp escaped her lips when she identified the poison in Kiku's system. It was not unlike her own in that it contained traces of dream lily poison, hemlock, and briar, but unlike hers in that it was diluted with hints of cacti sap and deathblade, both plants native to Sand.

The medic pursed her lips and covered Kiku's body. "What does this mean?" She whispered to herself. "Where is Kakashi? Why wasn't he protecting her?"

"Sakura." Pakkun's static-laden, gruff voice rang into her ears and ripped the rosette away from her thoughts. "I need an update."

"Kiku's dead. No sign of Kakashi." Sakura stated, her tone void of emotion.

Pakkun sighed. "Damn. Where is he? We've caught and bound three, one is dead, and two are still on the move. Whoever killed Kiku couldn't possibly be among these guys. That's a teleportation jutsu for only the highest ranking ninja. Inform the hotel. Go talk to security and see if you can find any sign of Kakashi."

"Pakkun? Thanks.." Sakura responded quietly. "For taking charge, I feel in over my head."

"Nonsense. Now go. Over and out."

...

Dispelling the Yin Seal had been far less unpleasant. The languid way her chakra slithered through her body and seemingly disappeared into the seal was smooth and warm. Sakura sighed, content that she still had half of her usual reserve. She watched the civilian cleanup crew stomp around the suite, oblivious to the way they contaminated the crime scene, however Sakura had already bagged anything deemed useful. The nagging thought that the hotel manager's lack of presence was something to be concerned with.

"Sakura."

Pressing a finger to her ear, Sakura walked out of Kiku's and cast a genjutsu to hide the chaos from any watchful eyes. "Pakkun. What do you need me to do?"

"Have you been to security yet?"

"No, I've been overseeing the cleanup. I'm about to head down there now."

"Okay. All the rogues were captured." Sakura smiled proudly despite her sour attitude. Leave it to a pack of dogs to take down a swarm of enemy-nin. "I'm sending Bisuke to the nearest ANBU camp to request back-up for the transportation of these guys, do you need me to request a search party or back up your way?"

For a moment, Sakura stubbornly thought the notion that she needed back-up was ludicrous. But if anyone could get a job done quickly, efficiently, and without crying every two hours, it was ANBU. "Hai. Have you tried Kakashi again?"

"Yeah, no luck. Find anything in the room?"

"His kamishimo from earlier. When was the last time you saw him in person?"

"Right after room service came to escort you to the gala, he left to go talk to the hotel's manager and owner, then get changed."

"Thanks, Pakkun. Over and out." Sakura continued to walk briskly to the elevator. She hadn't seen or heard from the hotel manager in nearly two days, and Sakura hadn't even _met_ the owner.

...

The elevator ride seemed to last an eternity. The soft music that was usually able to distract her mind was drowned out by the sound of unanswered questions as they buzzed between her ears. The strong grip on her heart had relented slightly, allowing her breathing to finally slow to a steady pace despite the rapid beating of her heart. Sakura would never admit it out loud, but she was absolutely terrified. How could everything had fallen apart like this? The rosette was always the sharper of the group, and yet she somehow managed to lose her grip on the entire mission. Kakashi was _missing_. Not checking in, nothing. And if that really was a clone at the gala with Kiku, then finding his hakama in her room was less curious, but nothing put her at ease.

A few people entered the elevator and stared warily at the petal-haired ninja. No longer feeling the need to be discreet, Sakura stared back unabashed, as though a kunoichi deigning full gear whilst standing in the elevator of a hotel catered to starlets and socialites was nothing out of the ordinary. But these people seemed to be a part of that special brand of civilian who have never actually dealt with shinobi, so Sakura would forgive their blatant stares. The elevator dinged, signifying their departure, and Sakura felt her shoulders relax a little.

Finally reaching the first floor, Sakura wove through the maze of tables and slot machines, gracefully avoiding the other patrons. Being within the casino was a source of anxiety for the pinkette. The frigid air tainted with smoke, along with the discordant white noise created by the machines and gamblers, muddled her senses. She could only wonder how terrible the casino seemed for Kakashi and his pack. Her heart sank suddenly, causing her to nearly crash into a server, but Sakura righted herself quickly and swallowed the anxiety brought on by her former-sensei's disappearance.

"Thank the gods." She said quietly to herself when she found the door leading to the offices. Once inside, the large wooden door clicked shut behind her and the sounds of the casino disappeared entirely. Warily, she stepped away from the comfort of the door and made her way down the long, dimly lit hall. For every door, there were two security guards, however none of them stopped her journey, their eyes merely followed her, the feeling of their calculating gazes were enough warning. _'I should _not_ have come here alone.. It's like they've been waiting for me..'_

The door she was seeking was the very last one. The name MATSUSEI MAO was imprinted on the door in large, cursive characters. The guard on the left opened the door for her and Sakura just gave a small bow before entering, her hand planted firmly on her kunai pouch.

"Ah, Haruno Sakura. Please have a seat." A pair of dark, violet eyes fixed Sakura in her place, and when the eyes made a trail to a chair, she involuntarily followed, taking a seat, but not before bowing as deeply as she deemed appropriate, which wasn't very. Matsusei didn't look very threatening. His age was evident in the lines etched deeply around his cloudy eyes and thin lips. His black hair was peppered with white and his fair skin dotted with freckles. He definitely didn't seem threatening. However, Matsusei also didn't seem very pleasant. The wrinkled mouth was coerced into a tight, welcoming smile, forcing Sakura's attention away from his entrancing, clever gaze. "I've been expecting you." Matsusei stated it a light, feathery voice.

Sakura tilted her head to the side. "You didn't hire me." It wasn't so much a question as it was a verbal realization. "Where is the manager?"

Matsusei glanced to his suit and began to pick at the invisible dust that clung to it. "I'm afraid he's been let go."

"The reason being?" She pried.

"Certainly no concern of yours. Besides, I highly doubt your incompetent shinobi mind has the capacity to understand the inner-workings of a business." He stood and walked behind her to a small bar. "Would you like a drink?"

Shaking her head, the kunoichi glanced down to the watched around her wrist. It was well after midnight. Meaning the Copy-nin had been missing for almost five hours. She really didn't have time for his small talk. "I have a theory."

"Oh, do tell." He smiled viciously, the sound of liquid sloshing around the shaker between his hands. For a moment, Sakura thought the man was going to try and beat her to death with it.

"I think we were hired by scared, ignorant man. Scared, because he could neither understand nor prevent these terrible things that were happening within the confines of his job. And ignorant because he obviously had no idea how close to home these.. _occurrences_ really were. I think you're in on it. I think you know exactly what has been happening and you are, in some way or another, profiting from it. Am I getting warm yet?" By now Sakura was standing before the man, and smirked at the worry that flitted across his gaze for the briefest of moments.

He stared at her for a few more seconds before turning back to pour his drink. "Well, I suppose I wasn't giving you enough credit. For your little _discovery_, however little it may be, will not benefit you."

"Why is that?" Sakura questioned obstinately, her small hand gripped tightly around a the handle of her weapon of choice, the kunai.

The slight man faced her again, a look of something akin to pity in his eyes. "Because coming here alone was a terrible mistake. One it seems your partner has already made."

...


	8. Chapter 8

**AN Hey guys! ****好久不見****! My exams are over for now! Pop pop! Anyways, I actually wrote Chapter 9 before Chapter 8 and I played with the idea of pulling a Tarantino and posting it all willy-nilly.. But I decided that I'm not talented enough to pull that off with such finesse. Moving on! My friend was supposed to start his beta work today, but he's 'sick' so I apologize in advance for anything funky. Okay! I hope you thoroughly enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts, it warms my heart. xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Nine

Sakura's eyes shot open suddenly and she sadly realized this was the second time in, hopefully only two, days she had woken up confused, entirely unsure of where she was. Only this time, the feeling of unfamiliarity was paired with a dull throbbing behind her eyes.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up." Petal-colored tresses whipped around quickly as the snapped her gaze to the source of a voice she was all too familiar with. "Nice of you to show up." His voice low, huskier than recalled, but Sakura attributed that to going hours without being hydrated.

"Well, you know. Nothing could keep me away from you, Kakashi-sensei." She rasped sleepily. The silver-haired jounin gave her a small, tired smile. Then Sakura belatedly noticed she could actually see his smile. Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask. And as her viridian eyes travelled downwards, she realized he wasn't wearing much of anything other than standard issue black pants and a pair of chakra restraints on his wrists. She glanced down to see herself donning a similar pair of restraints, but her clothes had been traded for a black t-shirt and matching black shorts.

Remembering her true mission objective, Sakura turned back to Kakashi and stared at his face, shaking away the fog in her brain and committing every line, every minute scar, and every dimple to memory. For one quiet moment she allowed herself to be mesmerized by the sight before her willing her eyes to remain on his face rather that his bare chest, or torso, or the way at his shoulders, smooth white skin gave way to strong, lightly tanned arms. '_It had been a long summer_,' she mused. '_Of course he only worked out in his sleeveless undershirt._'

"Sakura. Stop staring. You've seen it before." Kakashi ordered sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Where are we anyway? And Why does my head hurt so badly?" The rosette allowed her eyes to thoroughly sweep across the small room. It was nothing special, not as dingy as she had seen, but not as clean either. It was clear that the room was used only to keep captives, and the faint scent of bleach indicated that someone at least had the decency to disinfect it.

"We're in Rain. Near Ame from what I can tell." Sakura's posture jolted upright at the shocking discovery.

"What?" She demanded. "How could we have gotten all the way here? How can you tell?"

Kakashi brought a bare finger to his slightly crooked nose and gave it a light tap. "Every one that enters smells like rain and exhaust."

"How long was I out?"

He shrugged and bit the pad of his thumb in thought. "Maybe two days. They know you could overcome your chakra restraints, so they been injecting you with an intravenous chakra suppressant and sedatives."

The thought of being so vulnerable for such a long period of time worried Sakura, but Kakashi's tone didn't hint that anything particularly foul had happened. "But why does my head hurt so badly? This is unlike anything I've experienced."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. Tsunade gave you the Yin Seal, didn't she?" He replied, pointing to the middle of her forehead. Her hand shot up to touch the smooth skin. When she didn't respond he continued. "I think because these drugs are suppressing your chakra, it's all pushing into the seal at a rapid pace with nowhere else to go. Which would also explain why the genjutsu you were using on your forehead is no longer having an effect."

"You knew?" The young jounin breathed out, uncomfortable with how conspicuous she'd been.

"I had my theories. You've not used it, have you?" His tone was stern and reprimanding, despite her not having given him an answer yet.

Sakura bite the inside of her cheek. "No.." Her eyes fixed on the floor and she could feel her former-sensei's hard gaze on her. But if he knew she was lying, which he so obviously did, he didn't push it.

"Well, I'm sure you know the risks. It shortens your life-span."

"If you're sure, then why give me a lesson? That hardly is a source for concern, Kakashi. Tsunade-shishou lived until she was at least fifty-six." The pinkette spat at him.

"But she was in good shape. Her medic skills kept her healthy. Think of how long she could've lived."

Sakura felt a hot surge of anger pulse through her veins, flushing her cheeks and causing her hands to ball into fists while the desperate, unconscious need to defend her shishou's actions overtook her mouth. "Tsunade didn't die from just using it! She died because instead of using it to save only herself, she used it to defend and save a multitude of people! I'd rather die at fifty protecting those I loved than die at eighty, wishing I could have done more for others!"

The sound of her shrill voice bounced off the walls of the small space, ringing in her ear harshly. Sakura half expected Kakashi to lose his cool like he had in the bathroom what seemed like so long ago, but instead he stared back with cool indifference. The air in the room remained tense and unbreathable as Sakura tried to reign in her unreasonable anger. Finally her breathing slowed and she looked up to meet Kakashi gaze, which had turned softer in the past few moments. For once, Sakura knew exactly what he was trying to relay. He completely understood her, and devoted his life to the same principle, something that cost him his life already once before. Never had he appeared so open, and he probably never would again if he could help it. The Copy-nin was apologizing and in turn accepting her unspoken one. The warm sensation of adoration began to seize Sakura's breath for ransom, but Kakashi cleared his throat, effectively putting her thoughts to rest.

"There's something else I need to tell you before they come and knock you out again." His face adopting a more serious expression. His silvery haired bounced as he called her to scoot closer to him.

Shuffling to her knees, Sakura made her way to sit beside him. Their shoulders were just barely touching and Sakura could feel the heat of his skin burning against her. "You mean to tell me that us being held captive and powerless isn't the least of our worries?" She joked lamely, earning her another quiet smile that made her stomach jump. No one should have a smile so imperfectly charming. It was absolutely disarming.

"I wish." He sighed deeply, an obvious weight pressing down onto his shoulders and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "They're going to take my sharingan."

"I don't understand.."

"During the war, all those in possession of the sharingan or rinnegan were decimated."

Her brow knitted in concentration as her mind rapidly made sense of the situation. She knew that, of course, everyone did. But the thought of Kakashi being in danger because of it hadn't occurred to her. "Making you the only one with a sharingan left.."

He nodded. " I don't know what exactly the plan is, but Matsusei's hotel chain must be a front for black-market dealings."

"You think he's going to sell it?" She outraged. "When? Can we stop it?"

"They must be waiting for a more experienced medic to perform the surgery. I have a plan of action, but it is a stretch."

Sakura smirked, suddenly excited at the prospect of kicking some ass. "Go on."

...

It was hard to feel scared during a mission with the famous Copy Cat Ninja. The only time Sakura ever truly worried was when they were separated under extenuating circumstances in which she held no control. However, those instances were few and far between and Kakashi almost always thought their way out of trouble. Though the starry-haired jounin wasn't equipped with a mind as sharp as Head Strategist to the Hokage, Shikamaru, his ability to see _underneath the underneath_ granted him the capacity to not only read people flawlessly, he could also speculate the most probable outcomes when facing an adversary.

Although Sakura spent most her youth idolizing Kakashi's talent, she was no longer ignorant to the possibility of failure on his part. What the petal-haired medic had gathered, her former teacher was most efficient when dealing with repeat offenders, or going against an enemy he was prepared for. The few times they had stumbled into a blind situation had caused near dire consequences, this mission included.

And as Sakura lay on the ground, seemingly prostrate with exhaustion, she willed her body to remain completely limp against the cold tiles. The door opened with a bang and she heard the footsteps of three people, two men and one female. The prickling sensation that someone was standing over the kunoichi caused goosebumps to ripple across her bare arms.

"Don't bother giving her another dose."

Sakura could practically feel the suspicion radiating off of the medic in intense, tangible waves. "Why?" She shot quickly.

"The other medic already sedated her an hour ago. Anymore and it will be a lethal dose." Kakashi lied smoothly, not relaying a hint of fear.

"Is that true?" The young woman asked the two men who had entered with her.

"I don't know. We just got here. Reiko and Matsuki just left to accompany the boss to Suna."

There was a strained moment before the medic eventually shrugged. "He's probably right. She won't live to sunset anyways." Sakura bit down the retort boiling inside her mouth.

'_Let's make her _eat _those words._' The roseate-haired medic promptly silenced her inner thoughts and listened carefully as the group exited the room with Kakashi in tow. '_God these shinobi are fucking stupid. The standard these days have really fallen._'

"Cut it _out_. I have to focus." She whispered harshly. Sakura thought for a moment how strange it would look to other people if they saw her talking to herself. '_Everyone does it._'

Remaining on the ground, Sakura tried to access her chakra and channel it to her wrists. What Kakashi had said was correct. Sakura's body had become so accustomed to automatically controlling and harnessing chakra, that it was second nature. If it were just the drugs suppressing her chakra, Sakura could flush out the toxins in minutes, and if it were just the cuffs, Sakura merely needed to concentrate on creating a massive burst of chakra to break the seal, which was something Tsunade had drilled her on years ago. But with both, it was more tricky. However, the drugs were wearing off fast. She could only assume that a medic had to come in every three hours to keep her sedated and her chakra inaccessible, because her chakra acted like white-blood cells when it came to any intruding, noxious chemicals and fought them off without her even needing to be conscious.

The kunoichi bit her lip as she concentrated on the task at hand. Slowly and painfully, she coerced her chakra from its dormant state, hissing in pain as it inched its way through her channels, thick like molasses. With a quiet _poof _the seal disappeared and Sakura felt her chakra return to its natural, smooth-flowing state. However, before she could celebrate, the door opened, forcing her back into a laying position. Two sets of footsteps clicked against the floor before stopping in front of her.

Before either made a sound, Sakura pushed herself away from the ground and threw her legs around to kick both of the guards off their feet. It was one of the moves Gai-sensei had taught her whilst she was training for for the jounin exams, and nearly every time she employed those moves, Sakura couldn't help but picture Gai leaping with joy over her 'stunning example of youthfulness through her glorious victory over over the enemy which was herself!'

Slowing to a stop, Sakura jumped to her feet and heard the faint pops of her stiff joints as she did so. The two guards were already unconscious, which was a disappointment. "Fuck. I needed to interrogate them.."

'_Find Kakashi.' _She nodded proceeded to search the unconscious shinobi. One pack of shuriken and two canteens of water. She truly had hoped one would be a kunoichi who happened to wear size 7 1/2 boots, but no such luck. Taking what she could, Sakura reached for the door and pushed it open with ease. The coast appeared clear, but Sakura couldn't really check the vibrations without creating a pretty sizable tremor, and Rain wasn't know for its earthquakes.

Sighing, Sakura methodically scrutinized her surroundings. The tiles were a pearly white, shining brightly beneath the glaring overheard lights. There was slight evidence of muddy footprints coming from the left but not the right, so she could assumed there was an entrance to the left. The air wasn't stuffy, but it wasn't stale and recycled either. Definitely above ground.

Despite being home to the most industrialized city in the known world, Rain Country had many old-fashioned and fiercely respected traditions and superstitions. These ranged from never giving shoes as a gift to elevators stopping every thirteen floors so the occupants could exit and have a short prayer. Though Sakura knew these customs were also a way to uncover outsiders.

'_Remember what Tsunade-shishou said about different customs within hospitals.'_

Sighing, Sakura cleared her mind and tried to bring forth the information she'd learned regarding medical culture. "Sand never performs surgeries during a rainstorm. Lightning builds hospitals on the highest point in the city. Rock's hospitals only have even numbered floors. In Leaf, it is strictly taboo to bring fresh flowers for an admitted patient. But what about Rain?"

Despite this building not being a hospital, Sakura knew that if people from Rain country worked here, they would respect any and all traditions, but she couldn't a few panicked second, Sakura began to despair that she'd really forgotten, until the loud, soprano voice of her shishou began to flood her mind. "_The O.R. is always located near the entrance!"_

Sakura nodded triumphantly and followed the faded footprints left. It was surprising how few people there were in the building. Even though the young medic could only faintly recognize chakra signature, not their location but at least their presence, she only guessed twenty people in total were present. The building must have been an outpost, and the thought irked Sakura. There was no way they had the proper equipment to perform a surgery. If anyone came up this hall, Sakura would have no choice to fight them, her genjutsu was good, but her chakra still felt sluggish, as though it was operating in slow motion.

Finally recognizing Kakashi's chakra signature, Sakura pushed open the door and stumbled inside, expecting it to be locked. The room was sterile and silent, the whitewash walls bouncing garish light into her eyes. Her former teacher was the only person present, which frightened her. It either meant they hadn't started and were due to return any minute, or during the time she wasted trying to figure his position they had already removed it. Stepping closer, her footsteps didn't make a sound but the Copy-nin knew of her presence immediately.

"Sakura!" He barked impatiently, bringing her to tower over him. Half his face was covered with ill-fitting bandages, and the portion the could see was twitching in evident pain. Before she could ask what had happened, he began ordering her around. "Take off these restraints, and flush out some of these drugs. We have to get moving. I have a plan."

"_Another_ plan? What happened to the last one?" Her hand worked at the restraints until they shattered to pieces. After removing a poorly insert iv, she pressed her hand against his chest and pushed as much of her chakra into his heart as she could manage. The feeling of her chakra streaming through his bloodstream and breaking down the sedatives kept her alert and slightly on edge.

She stopped suddenly and took a deep, shaking breath. "That's all I can manage now.."

"It's fine, let's go." The man rose from the makeshift bed and snatch a discarded medical mask. "Before we go you need to know.." He paused and he watched as he swooned slightly, before straightening and hooking the mask behind his ears. "You can't demolish this place, it could contain valuable information. Someone will be back here." Sakura nodded in agreement, but scowled nonetheless.

Laying a hand on her shoulder, Kakashi loosely gripped her shirt to stay steady and they were back in the hall, running to the entrance within minutes. To her surprise, Sakura could _feel _ Kakashi chakra leveling out, much more rapidly than in previous years. Bemused, she glanced back at him to meet his gaze.

"There are people coming. Five. Can you handle them?" Sakura nodded without question and sure enough five people were running towards them, but Sakura didn't waste time trying to see who they were.

Whipping through the four seals, Sakura stopped suddenly, causing the Copy-nin to clumsily bump into her, but the contact didn't phase the pinkette. "Kawara Shuriken no jutsu!" All around them, the large, white marble tiles began to detach themselves from the floor and float as though being hung from strings. Taking a shallow breath, Sakura drew her now flowing chakra and pulse it into the floating tiles. She heard Kakashi gasp in surprise as the tiles flew forward.

"Come on!" She grabbed his hand they they followed behind the flying tiles. The grip on her hand tightened as the tiles cut into their pursuers, splashing the pair with blood, but they kept moving until the wall opened up to reveal an empty lawn. They both paused, watching and listening. They were in the thick rainforest of Rain Country, the tropical air was wet with recent rainfall and the thundering sound of dusk played with their senses.

"Sakura..." Her head snapped up and his arms wrapped around her shoulders, his hands slowly dragging across the fabric of her shirt before gripping her tightly. His actions caused her breath to catch. "Hold on." He murmured into her ear. Confused, she did as he told and latched her hands around his waist.

But instead of whatever she was expecting, the scenery around them faded into nothing. The uncomfortable feeling that her body was being stretched and forced through a thin tube overtook and caused her to tremble violently. She could feel Kakashi's arms tighten around her, but only vaguely, and he was whispering for her to stay calm. As quickly as every cell in her body had been pulled apart, they were realigned even faster. A process that felt unendingly painful was over in the blink of an eye.

Cold, wet grass crunched beneath her toes and Sakura's celadon eyes timidly opened, as though she were worried of the same fate she'd endured would overtake her a second time. But realizing no such thing would happen, Sakura begrudgingly let go of the silver-haired man and took a small step back, her faced burning with embarrassment and confusion. They were standing under a low roof that was suspended from the trees. And as she glanced around, Sakura saw five small polls drilled into the ground around them, each set an equal distance apart. '_A seal?'_

"It's an ANBU transportation outpost." Low baritones demanded her attention elsewhere and Sakura turned to see Kakashi sitting on the ground, his elbows resting on his knees. "The Forth designed them to be used in emergency situations. There's a dozen more, but..." His voice was tired as it trailed off and she moved to sit beside him, shivering as the cool, late autumn air breezed around them.

The rosette frown slightly. They had been on many missions where such an option could have really helped, why was she just now hearing about it? But as if sensing her thoughts, he continued to speak before her emotions ran away from her. "Only high-ranking jounin and ANBU have clearance to use them. This is the only one I've been to. It's pretty far from Rain."

"So it used a lot of chakra." She pointed out, noting that his chakra was dangerously low.

He nodded slightly. "The jutsu uses a lot of chakra anyways. I was brought here with a team once. I've never actually had enough chakra to use it myself before."

Her frown visibly deepened. That didn't make any sense to her. "Then how come you can use it now?"

The Copy-nin sighed deeply and turned to reluctantly meet her gaze. And Sakura could now see a sad smile pinching the corner of his visible eye. "Because I no longer have the sharingan to drain my chakra."

...


	9. Chapter 9

**AN Hey you guys! I'm so excited that everyone seems to be enjoying this that I am posting early! My heart swells with pride and sunshine and youth! Is anyone else hopelessly obsessed with _Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals _? Because I treat every new episode like a midnight release of Harry Potter. I digress, please enjoy! This chapter is much more relaxed. I really appreciate your feedback and support! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Nine

"So let me get this straight.." Naruto began slowly, his relaxed appearance doing nothing to hide his frustration. Sakura tensed, ready for the onslaught. Although Naruto was nowhere nearly as volatile as the Fifth, his anger was of a more subdued variety. Those corn-flower eyes didn't shine violently with rage, but instead they dulled slightly to reveal a penetrating disappointment that could cause anyone's chest to tighten.

"Not only did you fail the mission. But you, Sakura, spent months developing this drug only to let it fall into the hands of enemy-nin, Correct?" She nodded mutely, her eyes falling to stare at the worn, wooden panels beneath her feet.

"And you, Kakashi." Sakura caught her former-sensei flinch slightly from her periphery. "You allowed yourself to be captured and imprisoned, which ultimately lead to you losing your sharingan." He nodded slightly, not even bothering to defend himself. Neither of them were.

"And I get a call at three o'clock this morning saying that two _jounin_ needed an emergency dispatch team to rescue them before they die of hypothermia."

Sakura was the first to speak, her voice a tad ashamed. "Hokage-sama, we-"

"What rank are the two of you, again? Because this is chuunin behaviour." He interrupted. Sakura decided that pointing out he himself had only acquired chuunin rank before he ascended to the position of Hokage probably wouldn't be a wise decision.

"If I may, Hokage-sama.." Kakashi began wearily. Naruto just stared back with an exhausted expression. "I think it would be more fitting for us to explain in further detail what happened in our mission reports."

The blond sighed in agreement. "Yeah. you're right. I don't want to be here anymore than you do. I haven't slept in weeks. Alright. You have a week to hand in the report. And Sakura, make _sure_ he actually does it. You'll both be put on the roster in three weeks. I'm sending a reconnaissance squad to Suna to try and find any information on this Matsusei. So, Sakura, please give Konohamaru that information before you leave. Dismissed."

The two closed the door behind them and sluggishly walked to the office the self-proclaimed Seventh Hokage usually worked. Sakura didn't ask why Kakashi was walking with her, but she didn't argue. The Hokage tower was so quiet at this time of day. The only people present were a few shinobi wandering in from a mission or begrudged office workers that glared at the silver-haired jounin and his medic, as though it were _their _fault the administration staff had been called in at five in the morning. Though it probably was.

Stopping at a bright red door, Sakura slipped her short report on the hotel-owner under the door, not bothering to wait for any sign of recognition on the other side of the door. As they pushed through the entrance, Sakura noticed for the first time that her and Kakashi were practically leaning on one another for support. "We should go to the hospital. You especially." She murmured quietly before letting her head fall gently against his shoulder. Not thinking about her actions, the pinkette latched onto Kakashi's now clothed arm and closed her eyes, trusting him to guide them, which really wasn't fair. He was in far worst shape than her, but days without sustenance wreaked havoc on the young medic's body. Her metabolism was far too high to go so long without eating, it wouldn't be a surprise if she'd lost a few pounds during the course of their mission.

The ding of the hospital doors opening jolted Sakura awake and she looked around, confused. She honestly hadn't expected him to actually bring them here. Closing her eyes again, she let him lead her to the front desk and apparently the nurse gave him them one good look before shoving a pair of clip boards in his free hand and pointing them towards an empty room. Sakura took a deep breath and sighed audibly. She loved the smell of hospitals. Such a clean, sanitary smell that reminded her of Tsunade. However, now the sterile scent of latex and iodine had been tainted by the musty aroma of sweat and discarded uniforms fished from the lost and found they'd donned at their arrival.

"Don't think this changes anything." The silver-haired jounin warned. It was unclear who exactly he was talking to. "Out relationship will remain reluctant acquaintances." Sakura picked up her head off his shoulder to give him an odd look until she realized he was talking to the hospital.

"You are so weird." Her voice was quiet and tired as she pulled away to push open the door and fall face first onto the hospital bed closest to her. The crisp, recycled air blew mercilessly, making the petal-haired medic snuggle deeper into the fresh, scratchy sheets of the bed.

She listened as Kakashi stretched across the bed behind her. He scratched his pen across the paper for a few moments before giving up and dropping the clipboards onto the floor in defeat. It was only a matter of time, although the length Sakrua was still very unsure of, until the door opened to reveal a tired Shizune who had obviously been dragged out of bed, and four training medics.

"What? Are we not important enough for real staff? You're putting us in the hands of interns?" Sakura laughed dryly at the way Shizune's mouth pulled into a displeased frown before turning to her subordinates to bark orders.

"Kuro, ready the EGC monitor. Riku, start taking blood samples. Remember to wash your hands and change gloves after each," Sakura chuckled at the way the young man rolled his eyes before moving to the sink to wash up and collect the sterilized equipment.

"Kakashi-sempai, drugs or no?" For a moment Sakura thought Shizune's question was rhetorical until she saw her former sensei nod his head once in response. Kakashi wasn't one to request, or even desire, the use of strong medications, which was only one of the reasons he preferred to avoid medical care. He must have been in far more pain than he was letting on. It was clear Shizune was thinking something similar with the way her eyes darted to Sakura nervously.

"Okay, Daichi, start Kakashi up on a propofol i.v., Riku, when you're finished, get the equipment from the autoclave. And Yoshiko, prep me." The only one who hadn't been given order yet rushed to Shizune's side and took the clipboards while her teacher washed her hands.

"Riku-kun, that is not how Shizune taught you and you know that. This needs to be much tighter around my arm." Sakura teased humorlessly as the red-haired boy muttered under his breath and tightened the band around her arm. Keeping her mouth shut, allowing him to complete on his own, Sakura took instead to watching the small, blonde-haired girl called Yoshiko, fumble as she tied the the blue ribbon's of Shizune's gear together.

Riku finished with Kakashi much faster. "Riku, are you just now finishing?" Shizune exasperated. "Take those to the lab now. Yoshiko, grab the tray from the autoclave. And Daichi, I'm going to need you to put Sakura under as well. Hurry and grab a drip from the supply closet."

Sakura's face pulled into a look of contempt. "Why? If anything I'm just hungry and tired."

"Fine, Daichi, put her on a tpn as well. Sakura, if you're awake you're only going to start bossing people around, which wouldn't be efficient since you've yet to finish your surgical training." Shizune smirked beneath her mask. It would be futile to argue because she was right. Sakura _was_ a control-freak and she _had_ put a hold on her medical studies to focus on making jounin. Frowning deeply, Sakura huffed as she watched the intern skillfully press the long, feeding needle into her arm before doing the same to her hand with the propofol. The drug was fast-acting and Sakura didn't bother to fight it off. Slowly, the world slipped away and the last thing she heard was the sound of her an Kakashi's heart-monitors beeping off-time.

...

It didn't take very long for the entire village of Konohagakure to hear of the fiasco Kakashi and Sakura had made of their last mission. Shinobi and civilians alike could be seen gathered together in small clusters, whispering about the grand failure of their mission.

"_It didn't take the very long to sell her poison to the highest bidder.."_

"_...I heard it was stolen"_

"_She's a kunoichi. People don't _steal _from ninja."_

Shaking her head in annoyance, the bubblegum-haired medic strolled by the two gossiping shopkeeper, pretending that she wasn't the star of their latest scandal. However her name only came up a fraction of the time Kakashi's did. It hadn't been two days since the pair had been discharged from the hospital that they were both accosted unyieldingly by any and all passerby's. But on the third day, the excitement had faded to a dull roar, and Sakura could walk down the street confident that no stranger would stop her.

The rosette took a left and continued down a small side-street towards her destination. She was still tired, despite the ample amount of food and rest, so jumping through rooftops just seemed unnecessary. However, she'd been traveling that way for so long, Sakura had forgotten how narrow and incongruous the streets of Konoha were. It never occurred to her that she only walked to a few places, everywhere else she jumped about the tops of buildings as though cheating a hedge-maze. Turning a sharp right, Sakura let her thoughts wander to the Copy-nin. At first, the azalea-haired kunoichi didn't understand why Naruto had given them such a lengthy break from missions until Shizune stopped her on the way out after Kakashi had been discharged.

"_Sakura." The ravenette spoke softly, gripping the younger medic's arm tightly. "I noticed Naruto put you on leave. I think that right now Kakashi's going to need someone to lean on, even if he doesn't realize it. Since you two are the key component to this investigation, I assume you're going to be working a lot together. Kakashi-sempai maybe didn't rely solely on his sharingan, but it was apart of him. I want you to keep an eye on him. I know he won't make his follow up or his psych evaluation, so keep me filled in, okay?"_

She had shouldered many responsibilities, most of which with time had become more like burdens that she couldn't part with. And there was a fear, a tiny one that nestled itself deep into her mind, that she was going to fail Shizune, Kakashi, everyone really, if she couldn't make sure Kakashi stayed in top-condition, both mentally and physically. But if Haruno Sakura was anything, it was determined. And with that last boost of confidence she stepped into a quiet, secluded tea shop. A few customers were scattered about, but her eyes instantly fell on that mop of messy, argent hair. Leaving her boots at the door, Sakura walked quietly and took the empty seat across her former sensei, a familiar green book blocking his face from view. After a quick glance around, Sakura could see why Kakashi had chosen the place. A cozy, warm atmosphere enveloped the small tea shop, emitting a sense of comfort only found in one's home. And mostly because it was impossible to find.

Kakashi nodded without removing his eyes from the page, and she heard a low 'yo' under his breath.

"You're early." She pointed out, bemused.

"No, you're late. I was on time." He replied flippantly, his mask was pulled down far enough so he could lick the tip of his finger as he turned the page. Had she more energy, the pinkette would have pressed the matter further and demand why now the infamously late ninja chose this moment to be on time and make her look like an ass, but instead she just shook her head in defeat and began pulling papers, pens, and white-out from her bag, setting them a perfect distance apart in front of her.

"So is that your report?" Her celadon eyes focused on the manila folder sat closed in front of the Copy-nin. Slowly, the green book lowered to reveal the now covered face of her former-sensei, the silver locks casting a dangerous shadow over his eyes. He merely stared for a few moments until Sakura began to squirm under his gaze. "So can I see it?"

"Sakura-chan, mission reports are confidential. You know we can't compare notes or anything." His voice was bored, a tad more tired than usual and she just glared before grabbing her favorite fine-tip blue pen and began filling out the form, painfully aware of his scrutiny. "You miss-wrote Mao." He informed her dryly, earning him a hard glare before Sakura grabbed the whiteout and dotted the white liquid so carefully over the word that even Kakashi had to chuckle.

As she blew the liquid paper dry, Sakura could feel Kakash's gaze still lingering on her. Slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his lone, obsidian one and she raised an eyebrow in question at the way the dark orb grazed over her features before pausing momentarily at her mouth. Without thinking, Sakura swept her tongue across her lips that seemed suddenly so very dry, and the movement seemed to jilt the starry-haired shinobi out of, what Sakura assumed was, a drug-induced stupor. Kakashi robotically lifted his book back into place, but not so fast that Sakura couldn't see an ever so faint blush peeking overtop his mask.

"You look thin. Are you dieting again, Sakura?" And before the girl could dwell on the fact that they might have just shared a moment, she was jerked back to reality. The reality in which Kakashi was often tactlessly critical, a trait some might call cruel.

"No! You crow!" The blood rushed to her cheeks and lit her viridian depths aflame. If she had been thinking clearly, she might had realized that Kakashi learned years ago to never comment on her weight. "I haven't done that since I was fifteen!"

The green book was closed and set to the side as Kakashi folded his hands and leaned onto his thumbs, his stare going through her as he was obviously trying to recall something. "How old are you again? Sixteen?"

Sakura's grip on her pen tightened as adrenaline began to course through her veins. "I'm _nineteen_." She finally ground out and watched as the older jounin shook his head in disbelief and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms across his chest, which Sakura noted for the first time wasn't covered in a green vest.

"That's not possible. Because that would mean I've just turned thirty-three."

Dropping the pen to massage her temples, Sakura took a deep breath. "My mistake. I forgot that old people tend to celebrate their thirtieth birthday until it becomes evident they are _far_ older."

"You are forgiven." He replied curtly. She _hadn't_ apologized at all but the kunoichi just shrugged her shoulders and forced it out of her mind. If Kakashi was going to be endlessly frustrating then she wasn't going to have any part it in.

"Has Naru- er- I mean Hokage-sama mentioned anything to you about the captives your pack caught?"

Suddenly, a small woman appeared with a tray and Kakashi shooed her before she could continue with anymore ceremony. A thin eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his lack of manners but the younger jounin held her tongue and decided instead to watch as Kakashi carefully prepared a tiny clay pot of wulong tea with an almost aristocratic grace she often forgot he possessed. "Yes, but they haven't gotten anything out of them." His low baritones snapping her from the hypnotizing motions of his hands. "He said Ino's been working on them since the ANBU team arrived last week."

"Fuck." Sakura muttered under her breath. Ino probably had to ditch a possibly romantic weekend with her teammate in order to clean up Sakura's mess. She could already imagine the passive aggressive stabs her blonde-friend had prepared for her. The azalea-haired medic noticed Kakashi had paused his ministrations at give her a puzzled look. "Nothing. I'm sure something will come of it."

"Mmm." Was his only response as he pushed a small cup to her and watched as she breathed in the earthy scent and took a small sip then gave him an approving nod.

Sakura couldn't help but let her eyes stray to the white bandages covering the silver-haired jounin's eye. The surgery had gone well, no lingering infection or excess scarring. His eye had, albeit through a very intense reconstructive procedure and incredibly precise chakra control, been recovered to it's previous state. The roseate-haired girl had read the file and she could still see Shizune's crisp handwriting dancing behind her eyes. The medic who had performed the removal had focused much more energy on removing the sharingan than she had on putting the eye back together.

So when they had arrived at the hospital, Kakashi's eye was nothing more than a small, misshapen mass of tissue and chakra stitching. Sakura had cursed herself for being too dense to notice the pain he must have been in, but he hadn't breathed a single word of it to her and she had been too drained to press the matter. Although Shizune had managed to to completely heal the once sharingan-user's eye, he was still half-blind, and very much without something that had made him into one of the most legendary shinobi of all time.

It was difficult to sit across from him, sipping tea as though everything were alright. But of course, Sakura had never sat alone with Kakashi like this, just sipping tea and writing mission reports, so that was a dead giveaway that nothing was alright. If the girl wasn't already drowning in the guilt of not reaching her partner in time to prevent such a travesty, then she might have also felt guilty for never once trying to spend time with him outside of a work setting. They were never really friends, she realized. But Team 7 had always been a special case, and that included Tenzou and Sai.

Through tragedy, heartbreak, and war they had all forged a bond that couldn't be described as mere coworkers or comrades, but at the same time Sakura still never thought of Kakashi as a friend. A mentor, a partner, and maybe a shoulder. But until their serendipitous mission at the Lightning Daimyou's estate, Sakura had never really thought of Kakashi as a human. Which even as the thought crawled into her mind, Sakura knew it sounded ridiculous, but if she were to explain it aloud she would be at a loss for words.

The disasters her former-sensei had lived through and the power he possessed made him seem so untouchably distant. On the battlefield was the first time Sakura saw the briefest glimpse of who he was beneath that mask. But it wasn't until she watched him pleasure their target into submission that she realized her former-sensei might have had a life that didn't involve work, maybe a love life, maybe not, but a life that she now wanted desperately to be apart of.

The man who had completely enraptured the girl's thoughts lifted a hand to tug down the piece of black fabric that shielded his face and took a long sip of his tea. Watching him do something so natural only bewitched Sakura more, because when his hair shaded the bandages on his eye, and a brief sigh escaped his unclothed lips, causing his shoulders to slump slightly, the pinkette could see him for what he really was: a man who had just lost something incredibly dear to him. The emotions that were usually so well hidden were written as plain as day on the frown that marred his otherwise smooth, handsome features.

"So my mom asked about you yesterday." Sakura said suddenly before she could stop the words from tumbling out. She gaged his reaction carefully and stifled a giggle as his eye twitched in terror.

He coughed slightly, setting down his cup and covering his mouth. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, she said that you've missed the last two team dinners and that she absolutely would not stand for it again."

His mouth dropped open and Sakura wondered how often her former-sensei had been at a loss for words and she hadn't been in a position to notice. His mask and quick-thinking always left her to assume he just didn't care. "I must have been on a mission." He lied quickly.

Sakura shrugged dismissively. "I checked the roster, Tenzou's off this week. And Sai's apparently in town because he dropped by my mom's place to give her another painting for the hallway."

"His infatuation with your mother really is odd and you should think about doing something about it." He tried to change the subject, pulling his mask up before revealing himself any further.

Sakura scowled at him. "It's not like that! And I can't do anything about it. The point is dinner is at six tonight and you're expected to come."

Kakashi glanced at a watch Sakura had never seen before in her life. "Wow, I just remembered I have to wash Pakkun."

"No you do not."

"Yeah, I do. And I have to get him that dog shampoo you like to use."

"I do not use- wait!" But she was shouting at a cloud of smoke that was quickly dispersing around her. Huffing angrily, Sakura began to gather her things when she saw Kakashi had left his report. Glancing with a paranoia only a ninja could possess, she opened the folder and stared nonplussed at the sight before her. Kakashi had, instead of writing the usual five word report, drawn an elaborate comic strip of the events that took place on their mission. It was only five pages long, but each panel was so detailed, complete with sound effects and short dialogue. When he'd told the on their first day he had many hobbies, Sakura never really spared a thought as to what those hobbies might be. And she couldn't help but take note of how beautiful he'd drawn his pink-haired team-leader. Her eyes sparkled and her smiles were perfect and sweet, completely unlike the ones she employed in real life. Closing the folder and placing it inside her bag, Sakura's heart hammered away in her chest, but for reasons she couldn't entirely pinpoint.

"Miss." She turned to see the tiny woman who had brought them their tea. "Here's the bill."

...


	10. Chapter 10

**AN Hi you guys! I finally had time to see _Road to Ninja_! It's such a drag it won't be out Stateside until next year! But the movie was only okay. So this features some Hanafuda! If you guys have never played, I strongly recommend it, although _none_ of my Japanese friends know how to play and called me an old man for playing it.. T_T I'll give a brief description of the point. You want fifty points, but many use money. Every time you get a _yaku _you have the opportunity to win and accept the points, but instead you can say _koi koi _ and keep playing to try and earn more yaku_. _Yaku are just the correct combination of cards from the 12 different suits. So if you say koi koi and choose to continue playing, you put your points at risk. Reason being is it doesn't matter how many points you earn because if the other person gets a yaku, then your points become void unless you can earn another yaku and choose to end the game. Your yaku points are taken from your opponent, vice versa. If there's a stalemate, the dealer gets to decide who gets points, but if you are only playing with two people, then no points are given. I cannot believe I just explained all of that, holy shit I am sorry, I hope you enjoy the chapter! It is long and very plain, but you know what they say about the calm... Please R&R xoxo**

**Oh yeah, and I know that most of Team 7 calls Yamato by that codename, I thought it would be funny if they all called him Tenzou now just because Kakashi did..**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Nine

Kakashi continued to stare at the rows and rows of sake ranging from cheap to overpriced, sweet to bitter, mild to stout, waiting for one to jump into his arms so he wouldn't have to make the decision himself. He could of course ask a salesperson, but that would require him to bring attention to himself, which was entirely out of the question. Without his gear, mask, and forehead protector, he was already unrecognizable, but the sound of his voice could tip off any ninja in a twenty-five yard radius.

Running his hands through his cloudy hair, the Copy-nin groaned in near defeat. He couldn't quite understand at what point selecting a bottle of sake had become such an arduous task. It was just sake, Sakura's parents weren't very picky people, he'd assumed because Sakura wasn't either. But it was no secret that Sakura's mother, Mebuki-san, _despised_ him. She had hated him since the day they met. Mebuki-san thought him unfit to teach her daughter, which wasn't entirely a lie. After Team 7's magnificent debacle during the first exams, Mebuki-san marched right up to the Copy-nin and gave him a verbal thrashing that would make Tsunade herself quiver.

Then of course there was the rather violent incident between the pearly-haired jounin and his medic that left them both hospitalized, Sakura unwilling to accept defeat and Kakashi unwilling to claim it. That particular disagreement was brought on when Kakashi refused to sponsor Sakura for the jounin examination, saying she simply wasn't prepared for such an onerous endeavor and it would benefit her to continue honing her strengths in medical science. Which of course had been the absolute wrong thing to say for two reasons. The first being that his words had struck a chord with the azalea-haired girl, and from that point on she trained to achieve jounin rank almost entirely to _spite_ Kakashi. And although Kakashi was in the hospital recovering from said dispute, Mebuki-san hunted him down and said things he himself would never repeat.

In short, Mebuki-san _terrified_ Hatake Kakashi. Never in his life had he dealt with mothers. He only took on three students, and two of them were orphans like himself. Mother's were fiercely protective, wild creatures that eluded the Copy-nin to no end; they were like the ultimate team captains.

Sighing again, the silver-haired jounin grabbed the third most expensive bottle and checked out without another word. Stepping into the street, Kakashi cast a henge on himself and began strolling in the direction of the Haruno's home. He vaguely recalled that after the war, the Haruno family fell into a large enough sum of money to move out of the inner-district and into a more suburban neighborhood near the Nara Clan's estate, a rather long walk. If he had had anything to say on the matter, he would just go home, open a book, and rest for the next three years, but Kakashi didn't have any say. Should he choose to ignore the invite, it would undoubtedly lead to dire consequences that would cause an even bigger scene, and the last thing the Copy Cat wanted was more attention. He already had the village following his every move, watching on with glassy eyes full of pity and admonishment.

Kakashi let his head hang slightly, watching the earth move beneath his feet with each slow, lingering step. He was just so tired, not so much sad, not really. Hatake Kakashi forgot how to feel sadness properly years ago. And not so much confused either, because he understood fully what had happened to him. Anger, maybe because he knew deep down he could have prevented it, and yet some stroke of apathy or stupidity caused a serious lapse in judgement. It would be a lie to say he didn't hold at least a scant amount of resentment towards his partner for not reaching him in time. However, those feelings were just petty commiseration. Whoever possessed his sharingan now would have no hope in utilizing it's power, which was a small comfort to the Copy-nin.

Not so long ago, his sharingan had been a physical representation of a point in his life he would cherish to this day, a flashbulb memory that since the war had lost a bit of its shine, its importance. He wasn't so naive as to think his career as a shinobi was going to continue much longer; the fact that he was still breathing and fighting often confused and even irritated him. But how did someone continue to thrive after losing something that had made him one of the most fear and revered shinobi in the world?

The sound of his footsteps came to halt momentarily as Kakashi's thoughts drifted to the time him and his former student, the Rokudaime, fought side by side at Mount Shumisen. That day, the blod-haired firecracker had reminded his sensei that there was always choice, always another way to succeed, even if the only other option is to be bullheaded and unwilling until the opponent gives in.

"Hold it _right_ there!" Kakashi stood stock-still, his spine straightening so quickly, he all but winced in pain. "Don't think I don't know that's you just because you're using that wretched henge!" The voice was growing nearer and Kakashi recognized it as Shizune. Of _course_ it was Shizune.

"I have no idea who you are or what you are talking about." He replied flatly.

She rolled her dark eyes and rested a clenched fist on her hip, shifting her weight slightly to assume the authoritarian position all women relied on. "Oh please, Kakashi-sempai. You're a dead ringer for Sorimachi Takashi's portrayal of Mebiki in _Icha Icha Violance: The Movie._"

Kakashi couldn't fight the smirk that crept onto his boyishly handsome, movie-star face. "Why, Shizune-chan. I am surprised that you would subject yourself to such _filth._" Eyes widening, the medic's face grew a violent shade of pink as he threw the very same words she had once used on him back into her face.

"I.. That.. That is not the point!" She growled before taking a step back and exhaling the hot air building inside of her.

Not able to help himself, Kakashi took another step closer and let his eyes flutter to half-mast. "And what is the point, Shizune-chan?"

"Drop the henge. And do _not_ call me that." Her voice was flat, but Kakashi could tell from her shallow breaths and dilated pupils that she was having trouble control her attraction to him, or rather the movie-star he was impersonating.

"Fine." He sighed, bringing two fingers up in front of himself to dispel the disguise and quickly he lift his mask into place. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Tilting her head to the side, Kakashi watched as the Chief of Medicine examined his uncovered eyes. "You missed your appointment."

"The thing is, I ran into Sakura on the way to the hospital. She asked where I was headed and I told her. Then, without a second thought, she told me it was preposterous to subject me to such useless scrutiny when she would be more than happy to check me out herself."

A thin, dark eyebrow shot up in disbelief. "Check you out?"

"Her words, not mine."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the medic glanced at the clear bag in his hand. "Well, that is her mother's favourite brand of sake. Fine. I'll believe you this time. But please, go put on a coat or something. Winter's coming early this year." She gave him one long, pointed stare before stepping around him and heading back in the direction she came.

Unable to believe his fib had worked, Kakashi spared a glance around and realized she was right about the weather. The sky was steadily growing darker despite it still being the afternoon, and the people scurrying around were all wearing coats and scarfs. As if stepping into the cold for the first time that day, the Copy-nin shivered from the now evident bite in the wind.

...

"Is there anything else I may assist you with, Mebuki-obasan?" Sai's cheerful voiced broke Sakura's already waning concentration and she glared into the back of her mother, who was putting her finishing touches on a few dishes before letting them simmer on the stove-top, filling the house with a warm, comforting aroma.

"Actually, there is. If you don't mind, would you go out back and chop up a few logs for the fire place? It's getting a bitt chilly." He bowed slightly, an almost warm smile gracing his porcelain features before he dutifully disappeared down the hall. As soon as he was gone, her mother whipped around to point a spoon threateningly at her pink-haired daughter. "Wipe that scowl off your pretty face. He's just being nice and helping out."

"But he's been here _all day_." She whined in response. Something about being around her mother made her act a little less mature than she might otherwise.

"Well so have you and I don't see you jumping to your feet to help out your old mother."

"I've been writing this mission report!" Sakura knew if she could see herself, she would be rolling her eyes just like her mother was doing.

"No, you've been staring at it with a big, self-pitying frown. The only other thing you've done is glare at that nice boy. Besides, it's nice to have Sai-kun around. When your father's away, I get far more accomplished with a shinobi helping out around the house."

Sakura's jaw dropped and she groaned in exasperation. '_I am a ninja. And possibly even stronger than Sai.' _ She though idly. '_But Sai doesn't complain and disrespect your mother like you do.'_ "Oh shut up." She muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me, young lady? Is there something else you'd like to say?" Having forgotten her mother's presence, Sakura's eyes widened and she waved her hands in front of her, embarrassed.

"Maa.. No, I wasn't.. I mean, oh never mind. Sorry, Mom."

Shaking her brassy, blonde locks, Mebuki just untied her apron and hung it beside the refrigerator. "Didn't you want me to cut your hair before dinner?"

Thankful for the change of topic, Sakura nodded and watched as her mother rummaged through a few drawers before finally pulling out a pair of sheers and followed her upstairs. They sat on the cold, clean tiles of the bathroom floor, an electric heater plugged in right outside the door, blowing warm waves of air over them.

"You really need to get the heat fixed." Sakura pointed out, wincing at the way her mother mercilessly pulled the brush through her knotted hair.

"I have to wait for your father to get home. I can't afford to pay anyone right now." Sakura rolled her eyes. Her mother was always so stubborn. The petal-haired daughter had well more than enough money to pay for the cost, but offering it to her mother would be an offense. "I see why you like to keep it short, I forgot how quickly it tangles. Though I wish you'd keep it long, it's so pretty."

"It's just hair, Mom. I didn't even grow it myself." Sakura watched as the small pile of cotton candy hair grew larger with each passing minute.

"Are you sure you can't tell me what's bothering you?" Her mother asked seriously. Sakura wasn't so dense as to think her mother didn't already know exactly what had transpired on her mission that was causing the young kunoichi to mope so openly. If Ino was involved in the case, and she was, then it was no wonder the entire village knew. Sakura ignored her mother's question and sighed with relief when she was finished. "Better take that heater into your room while you get ready." Her mother stood and began to sweep the hair up from the floor.

Not needing to be told twice, the rosette grabbed the handle and unplugged the electric heater before carrying it down the hall to her old room. After she'd gotten out of the hospital, Sakura hadn't been keen on going home to her quiet, empty apartment. So instead she decided to visit with her mother. A mistake considering Sakura's apartment at least had central heating. Sakura shed her sweats and was rapidly pulling on a matching set of thermals when she felt the prickling sensation of a familiar chakra signature nearby. Turning around she saw the last person she expected it to be, especially so early. Kakashi was gazing at her, his hand stopped halfway to knocking on her window.

"You're early." She said suspiciously as she opened the large, bay windows, eyeing him carefully. "What's going on?"

Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi chuckled. "I'm here for an eye exam."

He watched as her viridian eyes widened in both shock and excitement before moving aside, allowing him entrance. Slipping off his boots, Kakashi stepped onto the plush, maroon carpet and shivered at the dramatic change in temperature, so much more warm than the harsh, autumn winds blowing just outside the window.

"Have a seat in front of the heater." She ordered and went about rummaging through her large, overnight bag. Doing as he was told, Kakashi saddled up next to the heater and discreetly rubbed his hands together. It was then that he noticed his former-student was wearing a set of baby-pink thermals and nothing else. The warm, wool fabric was snug against her slender frame, hugging the subtle curve of her narrow hips, and he couldn't help but think about how utterly sweet she looked in them, her entire body the same shade as her pretty hair. And for a brief moment, Kakashi was transported back to their hotel room, and the way his pretty pink-haired medic writhed in her bed under his genjutsu. It was odd, and strangely entrancing the way she had whispered his name..

Feeling his gaze, the kunoichi turned and gave him a strange look before a blush erupted across her face and she grabbed her bag, disappearing out the door to, what he assumed, put some actual clothes on. He chuckled under his breath and let his eyes roam around the large room.

The silver-haired jounin had never been inside Sakura's room, here or at her apartment, but he knew where they were located. It was evident the bubblegum-haired medic hadn't lived in this room for years. The walls were bright pink, but everything else was various shades of red. Kakashi could see where there once might have been another room next to Sakura's, but the wall had been taken out, making the size of Sakura's room much bigger. Various sticky-notes dressed up with medical phrases were scattered about the walls, and there was a small bookshelf dedicated to her textbooks from the academy and a slew of outdated shojo manga novels she must have read as a girl.

He smiled when he thought about how Sakura's apartment wasn't much different. Though he had never seen her room, he had visited the flat on a few occasions. Instead of carpet, Sakura had heated, linoleum floors, and her walls were all painted a muted shade of caramel-brown, but the entire apartment was still filled with furniture all in varying shades of red, the bookshelf in her living-room held dozens of medicals texts, murder mysteries, sci-fi, and philosophy, an odd combination of books in Kakashi's opinion. But the sticky notes were the same, only they were centralized to the kitchen.

"Okay, I'm back." He heard the smile in her voice and glanced up to see she had put on an oversized grey sweater and a pair of fitting crimson pants. Grabbing her pack and trying to hide a faint blush, Sakura kneeled in front of the older jounin.

"You got a haircut." He pointed out, noting the way her hair framed her oval face perfectly, and how a few stray strands of fringe fell onto her forehead. He vaguely wondered if it was because he had mentioned her looking better with short hair.

"Mhmm. Open your eye please." His eyelid slid upwards and Sakura was for the first time seeing it. Always wary of the sharingan, she almost flinched away until she remembered why she was giving him an exam in the first place. Insurmountable guilt began to build in her chest, seizing the breath from her lungs. His eye was absolutely normal. The dark, charcoal orb was tinged with the metallic, milky shade of grey that was synonymous with blindness.

Biting her lip to hold back the the sob that often followed feelings of deep self-reproach, Sakura lifted her fingers to the corners of his eye and began to pervade the green-glowing chakra into him, slowly and deliberately. Aside from a few severed chakra pathways, Shizune had left the Copy-nin's eye in near perfect condition. Sakura couldn't help but sigh at the way his warm, minty breath fanned against her chin and neck wile she worked, and although she was technically finished, the rosette lingered for a few more moments before pulling back and running a few more tests to check his reaction times.

"All done." She smiled brightly, trying to maintain a modicum of optimism. Grabbing her notepad and paper, Sakura began scratching down notes and glanced at her former teacher a few times. "How are you, Kakashi-sensei?" She suddenly asked very seriously. And for the first time since they had arrived home, Kakashi could see flickers of remorse trudging behind her emerald orbs, causing the man to rebuke himself for blaming any of this on the pink-haired medic. It was everyone's and no one's fault. He wouldn't be surprised if she were taking this just as badly as himself.

"I'm.." He started and then paused for a long moment, trying to decide how exactly he felt, and if he was willing to voice it to his fair-haired companion. He looked her in the eyes again and saw the hopeful way her eyebrows creased together and her hands grasped one another tightly. "I don't know.."

Disappointment clouded her eyes for a moment and with that one look Kakashi felt as though the rose-haired girl had reached into his chest and tugged lightly at the strings holding his heart in place. But her sunless expression quickly faded into a warmer, unidentifiable one and she gave him a small smile. Sighing deeply, Sakura stood up and disappeared for a moment before returning with a large coat that Kakashi merely stared at blankly. "You look like you're about to freeze to death. So did you see Sai outside?" She grinned almost wolfishly and Kakashi couldn't help but follow suit as he reluctantly slipped into the coat.

"I did. He looked so.."

"Rugged." Sakura finished quickly for him. "I know, he's been wearing my dad's awful flannels and doing chores all day." He gave her a pointed look that so clearly said 'I told you so.' But she ignored it and unplugged the heater to carry it downstairs. "Come on, dinner is probably ready."

Sakura turned when he didn't follow and saw him glancing between her and the clock beside her bed. "Oh you big baby, I won't tell anyone you were here early if you don't. We can pretend I told you that we were having lunch instead. And don't you _dare_ take out that damned book. My mom already thinks you're a pervert."

Not liking the idea of his medic telling the others he had been tricked, but disliking the fact that he was early even less, the Copy-nin unenthusiastically nodded and picked up his bag of sake. The two leisurely made their way downstairs only to immediately gain an audience. Three pairs of eyes stared at them quizzically for a moment before continuing to carry the dining room table into the living room, Sakura quickly scampering into the kitchen.

"You're curiously early." Tenzou pointed out as he reentered Kakashi's line of sight.

"I told him we were meeting for lunch." The pinkette supplied as she suddenly appeared beside the two men, causing them to jump slightly.

"Ah, you haven't used that tactic in awhile." The wood-user smirked handsomely then went about carrying a few dishes from the kitchen.

A lone silver eyebrow raised, pulling the visible portion of Kakashi's face into a bemused expression. "Is he implying that you've done that before?" He looked down to the rosette shrugging, a mischievous glint sparkling in her large, emerald orbs.

"I have _no_ idea what he's talking about." Then she turned to carry the large pot into the living room, jerking Kakashi's attention elsewhere. It wouldn't behove him to be so lazy in Mebuki-san's home.

"Kakashi-kun, be a dear and grab the last two bowls from the kitchen." He scowled inwardly at the suffix, but gave the sunflower-haired mother and eye crinkle.

In a few minutes they were all sat around the table which was almost emtirely covered in an array of dishes Mebuki-san must have spent all day preparing. The golden-haired woman had renounced the tradition one soup, three sides method and instead prepared a banquet of sweet and savory foods. The barrage of varying aromas tickled the silver-haired man's sensitive nose, nearly making his head spin. It was impossible to refrain from ideintifying every scent, from the subtle floral bouquet of Sakura's shampoo, to the salty fish, the smoked from the wood-burning fire..

Shaking his head, the jounin looked beside him and noticed that Tenzou had a similar idea, except he brought three bottles, always the lush. Just they were picking up their chopsticks the doorbell rang and Sakura all but leapt off the floor and flew into the foyer.

"Look who joined us." She smiled widely, dragging in the Rokudaime by the wrist and he fussed. She said slowly as they took their seats, Naruto taking Sakura's previous seat beside Sai, and the floral-haired girl sitting beside himself.

Picking up their chopsticks again, they all gave a quick "Itadakimasu." Before digging in. Sakura glanced around the table at the six empty cups and realized that her mother had entirely forgone tea, which caused Sakura to sigh. With her mother, Naruto, and Tenzou at the table, the pinkette would undoubtedly have a hard time getting anything to eat from being so busy refilling their cups. Setting her chopsticks across her bowl of rice, Sakura picked of the steaming cask of sake and began to pour the warm liquid into each cup before setting it down and allowing Kakashi to pour her own.

"Kampai!" And with one gulp she was pouring them again. Feeling a gaze on her, she turned to see Kakashi giving her a warm smile that caused small wrinkles to appear at the corner of is opened eye.

"Why don't I take over so you can eat, ne?" He suggested quietly, the sound of idle chatter mixing with the hum of heaters and the roar from the fireplace, concealing their conversation in a veil of white noise. Her travelled down to he empty china set in front of him and almost laughed.

"Of course you're already finished." She murmured, shaking her head in mock-disbelief before flashing him a grateful smile. Normally, Sakura's mother would never stand for her daughter relinquishing her unspoken duty of refilling the table's cups, but her mother was far too busy being fawned over by her teammates. It irked the pinkette because they assumed Sakura's mother to be good-natured, easily amused, and dare she say gentle. They never saw the rage-monster that the woman could become.

"Kakashi-kun, you're not eating. Do you feel alright?" Sakura felt her stomach drop and her cheeks flush with embarrassment when she caught Kakashi's pleading eye.

"He's already eaten, Mom. You know, true shinobi fashion. Always on the run. Anyways.." She chuckled nervously, and finished her drink, allowing her silver-haired partner to refill the cup. " Naruto-sama, I thought you had a meeting with the clans tonight.."

"I do." He replied simply, not meeting her gaze, instead partaking in the shabu-shabu simmering beside him.

"So are you a kage-bunshin?" Tenzou question, his fair cheeks already a shade rosier from the sake.

"He he, not really." The Hokage grinned nervously as he scratched the spot where his forehead protecter was knotted at the nape of his neck.

"Oh my god.." Sakura shook her head in astonishment. "You sent a kage-bunshin to the meeting."

"Pretty gutsy move." Kakashi commented with a slight smirk beneath his mask, he could feel Sakura's angry energy radiating off of her.

"Wait! Now hear me out! This is how I see it." He paused to sip his sake and clear his throat. "I really wanted to come tonight, but I knew that if I sent a kage-bunshin here, he was much more likely to to be taken down because Sakura will, without a doubt, hit me for whatever reason." The sunny-haired Hokage spared an apologetic look towards his favourite medic. "But no one is going to punch the Hokage, and if they do I've got a seal placed on Hinata and I'll just transport back! No sweat!" Sakura had to admit that was fairly clever. And Hinata Hyuuga would help Naruto do anything he asked her too. Sighing in defeat, she merely rolled her viridian eyes.

"Wow, Dickless-sama. I'm impressed." Sai spoke up for the first time since the meal had begun and Mebuki immediately smacked the raven-haired boy on the back of the head.

"He didn't become Hokage for nothing." She scolded him, causing the usually blank ANBU to blush slightly.

"I thought he became Hokage because Kakashi didn't want his exposed face on the monument." Tenzou remarked cheekily, working on his seventh cup of sake.

Kakashi frowned. "That's not true. I just felt the Hokage drab looked better on Naruto. Red and white aren't really my thing." He deadpanned, causing the others to laugh wholeheartedly. And Sakura realized at that very moment that her former-sensei would be devastatingly handsome in the traditional Hokage robes, and the mental image wasn't likely to leave her mind for a very long time.

"_Guys._" The blue-eyed leader whined. "_Stop it._" Which of course only fueled the fire.

...

Sakura pulled the covers around her tightly and she blew at the steam rising from the cup of piping-hot sake warming her hands. She spared a glance around and couldn't help but smile widely at her teammates, all in various states of drunkenness. Naruto and Tenzou were arguing about _god knows_ what, while Sai was leisurely sketching. It wasn't often they all spent time together in such an intimate setting, and it was the first time the starry-haired jounin had been present. It was clear through the slight tenseness in his shoulders that he was feeling out of place, but that only made the rosette smile even more.

After dinner, Sai and Naruto cleaned up everything, which including dividing the food into small take-away boxes for everyone, while the others sat in the living room and drank Sakura's mother into exhaustion. Sakura fought a giggle as the image of their village's Hokage, the strongest ninja, being humbled into eager submission by her mother, who didn't even have to ask.

Since the war, Sakura had been trying to have the team over for dinner as often as they could, because the harsh reality of how fleeting life can be had finally been realized, and she knew her boys were grateful. Because over the past three years, Sai and Naruto had found a mother to dote on. She would never say it out loud, but the pinkette truthfully thought it was the sweetest thing.

"Sakura.."

"Eh?" She saw Kakashi giving her a questioning look. Her eyes fell to the cards laid out before her. And audible growl escaped her lips and Kakashi chuckled lightly at her grimace.

'_Maybe he'll keep betting, you only need two more cards then you can beat him. Not like he has the sharingan to help him cheat.'_

'_That's an awful thing to think.' _She mentally scolded herself. However, hanafuda was to Sakura like shogi was to Shikamaru, she never lost.

"Ino-Shika-Cho." He smirked, knowing he should give in this hand and take his winnings, but instead he decided to humor her. Something about that fierce determination his opponent wielded made the card game all that more interesting. So he decided to keep betting. "Koi koi."

Smirking almost evilly, Sakura let him capture two more cards, she could feel the card she needed was nearby. She was already ahead with sixteen points and kept betting almost foolishly, but since Kakashi declared the last yaku, her points were void, and furthermore his winnings would be taken from her pot, and that was unacceptable.

"Kasu." Kakashi's resonating voice made her heart flutter slightly, but she frowned when she realized he'd achieved another yaku. She met his gaze, preparing to accept defeat. "Koi koi."

"Are you playing with me, Kakashi?" She seethed under her breath.

"Sakura-chan." He gasped, affronted. "Where is the trust? The respect?"

She cocked her head to the side, shooting him the cutest bemused expression she could muster. "You say that like you had any to begin with." Then she captured a few more useless cards, watching as her opponent did the same. However, with each card she dealt out, the pinkette noticed that her and Kakashi were refilling each other's cups in rapid succession, so her quick mind was slowing to a comfortably languid pace.

"It's weird, y'know? Seeing you act so normal."

His hand stopped for a moment, hovering over a card he had deposited on the board before withdrawing it to drink his sake. The still scalding temperature of his freshly poured drink warmed his insides as he tilted his head back and the sour liquid soaked through his mask and down his throat.

"What do you mean?" He asked, although already knowing the answer. Kakashi wasn't a particularly social man, and preferred to keep to himself, however he was outgoing enough to accept Gai's often ridiculous challenges, and charismatic enough to persuade those around him into doing his work (especially Tenzou), but at the same time his need for privacy, even whilst in public, often came across as rude. Kakashi knew nobody really believed that the silver-haired jounin just _really loved_ reading, but no one bothered to look underneath all of that.

But as he watched the candy-haired kunoichi blow on her sake, he realized that she was probably the most caring shinobi of his peers. Many of his comrades had long since given up on asking the Copy Cat about his personal life or even something as simple as how he was doing, and Kakashi liked it that way. He didn't have to try and articulate the minefield of overlapping emotions his mind had become. Sakura had known him for years, but had yet to become jaded to his reticent behavior. And it was clear she was determined to get him to talk, one manipulative statement at a time.

"Maybe I just needed a change of pace. It's hard work being this cool." He joked lamely and mentally berated himself until he caught sight of Sakura's pretty, jade eyes as they began to shine with mirth. She really was a lovely girl, especially in the soft glow of the fireplace beside them. The light flickered across her features, making her hair gleam like a summer sunset. It was in that moment, and only in that moment, that the older jounin allowed himself to accept his attraction to her, something that Kakashi usually had a fiercely tight reign on, but on a few occasions he could feel his grip slip, and for the briefest moment he would humor himself.

"I was thinking more along the line of really weird.." She said quietly, noticing the way Kakashi's usually lazy gaze became warmer, the silvery locks of hair falling over his closed eye, letting Sakura forget her guilt for a second. Her cheeks glowed with embarrassment and she was sure Kakashi's face was inching closer towards her own, the smoldering glint in his inky depths causing a sudden spark to ripple through her.

"Tsuki-fuda." He muttered, the words licking over Sakura's lips for a moment until she registered their meaning. Her eyes tore away and stared down at the board, seeing he had managed another yaku. She quickly did the math and realized that his measly nine points would put him at fifty in total. And just like that, Kakashi had made history as the first person to ever beat Haruno Sakura at Hanafuda. She could only glare as he scooped up the winning pot.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN Hey guys! Thanks so so so much for the positive feedback! I'm so happy to have readers like you guys! You're all so supportive! I started writing then paused to read the newest chapter of Shippuden, and guys..**

**Okay, so I finished this today, I didn't edit it so much, so I am sorry if there are mistakes Having to speak another language so often really fucks with you... I drank a lot of beer so I am thinking 'Let's just upload it!' So please let me know of any mistakes. My beta is the one who got me drinking.. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Eleven

"I hate winter." The pinkette's voice was muffled behind a think, bright red scarf, her teeth chattering to emphasize her point.

"No you do not, here, drink this." Ino pushed a to-go cup into her friend's hand. Assuming it was ginger tea, Sakura pulled down the fabric and took a long swig, instantly realizing her mistake.

"Ino! You pig! This is sake!"

"Just drink it! It will help you forget the cold."

"Keh. Not likely." She scoffed, but took another drink regardless.

"So, why aren't you training today? I thought you, Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and Lee-kun had training field 2 booked all week?" The sunny-haired girl questioned, locking arms with her friend as the harsh wind cut through them unforgivingly.

Sakura let out a long sigh and sipped from the cup before answering, her voice unwavering but the frown on her face betrayed her. "Gai-sensei and Lee were called in to work at the Academy today. And this morning Pakkun woke me up and gave me a note from Kakashi-sensei."

"A note? What is he? Five?"

"From that chicken-scratch he calls handwriting, one would assume so. Anyways, the note said that he was worried if I forced him to train with me again that he would enlist in ANBU again just to get away from me."

"He _said _that?" Ino squealed, the shrill pitch of her voice causing the rose-haired kunoichi to flinch.

"Yeah, he did. And I can't blame him. I can only assume that my constant badgering paired with Gai and Lee's endless optimism must feel a little bit like a slap in the face.." Her voice trailed off and Sakura leaned against her friend, burying her face into the blonde's purple, wool scarf, breathing in the outstanding bouquet of her expensive perfume.

"I guess losing his sharingan _is_ a drag." Ino commented wryly. Sakura rolled her eyes. Leave it to Ino to understate something so incredibly detrimental. They turned right and Ino pushed open a large oak door and guided her pink-haired friend inside. Instantly they were enveloped in the warm, smoky air of the izakaya. Sakura wrinkled her nose but said nothing. This was Ino's favourite place, mainly because it catered almost completely to men. Sakura lifted her head and spotted Tenten waving them over.

"Hey Tenten, long time no see." Sakura smiled and slid into the booth beside her while Ino took the opposite bench for herself.

"I know! I would say I've been on missions, but that's not technically the case." Tenten smiled, her sweet voice akin to the tinkling of bells.

Sakura raised a curious eyebrow. "So what have you been doing?"

Glancing from Ino's smirking face to Sakura's puzzled one a few times, Tenten sighed in defeat. "Ino _somehow_ convinced me to volunteer at the Academy for the past three weeks because they were having a weapons training camp."

The rosette glanced at her blonde friend suspiciously. "So what was the catch?"

A busty, auburn-haired waitress appeared and deposited three pints of hard cider before scurrying off to smile at the male patrons. Tenten took a sip and rolled her eyes. "Ino's been making me help her uncover some dirt on Kakashi-sensei." She said guiltily. "Sorry, by the way, about the mission. Ino told me."

"Of course she did."

"Stop pouting, Forehead! Don't you want to know what we found out? I mean the least you could do is get a little excited since you ruined my weekend plans with Chouji."

"How was that, by the way?" Sakura asked quickly.

"No hope there. He really is just a brother to me. Besides, I have this sneaking suspicion he's gay."

"Oh my god, Ino, just because he doesn't like you doesn't mean he's gay."

Ino tapped a finger to her lips thoughtfully before shrugging. "Stop changing the subject. We're here to talk about Kakashi-sensei. Now tell her what you did, Tenten."

Sakura eyed the brunette and watched closely as a bright red blush washed across her cheeks. The weapon-user picked up her pint and chugged a few times. "I.. well you see.. I mean, the thing is.."

"She broke into his apartment!" Ino interrupted, breaking into a fit of what some might call maniacal laughter.

"You did WHAT?" Sakura choked, spitting fat drops of cider onto the table. "Do think he won't notice? Ino, why did you make her do this? This has your name written all over it!"

"Calm down, Sakura." The turquoise-eyed girl breathed out as she plucked a few napkins from the dispenser and began wiping up the mess. "We planned it perfectly."

Sakura's jade gaze slid over to the girl seated beside her and she eyed Tenten. "She's right, it really was genius." The brown-eyed girl supplied. The table was silent for a few moments as they drank their cider, Sakura quickly losing her patience.

"Well spit it the fuck out! How did you do it?"

A mischievous smirk appeared on Ino's lips, it was a contagious kind of grin that had the other girls fighting to remain placid until they too were sporting identical ones. "So the people that live above him are a pair of bumbling, newly-wed civilians. We stalked them for a few hours and then waited until they went to sleep. Then I snuck inside and totally screwed with the plumbing, I literally flooded their entire apartment. And oh no! Look at that! Kakashi's apartment flooded too."

"Ino, that's terrible." Sakura scolded.

"Shut up and let me finish! Anyways, we planted a fake advertisement on the bulletin board outside their apartment for a cleaning service that specialized in water damage."

"What a coincidence." The pinkette deadpanned.

"I said shut it, Pinkie." Ino stuck out her tongue. "So they call the number, it was a pay phone down the street. Tenten and I show up, and the couple leaves us to get to work, asking if we could speak with landlord about the tenant below's apartment so we could clean it as well."

'_You have to admit that this plan _is_ kind of brilliant.._' Sakura shook her head and took a drink of her cider. "Not bad, and then?"

Ino nodded to Tenten and the brunette spoke softly, as though the walls themselves were leaning it to eavesdrop. "While Ino cleaned their apartment, I got the key to Kakashi-sensei's flat. The flood couldn't have been more perfect, really. It soaked through into his bedroom. It was an easy clean, and while I was there I went through his stuff.." Tenten trailed off, suddenly feeling very guilty of what she had done, and Sakura's menacing gaze was doing nothing to quell the girl's anxieties.

"She found his little black book!" Ino exclaimed in a loud, excited whisper.

"His what?" Sakura asked, confused.

"His little black book!" The pinkette's expression didn't change and Ino sighed, exasperated. "It's an address book that men keep for sex."

Sakura scowled. "There is no way that's true."

Tenten spoke up this time, forgetting her guilt with the excitement. "The only names were females."

"Don't you think Kakashi-sensei would notice if that were missing?"

"She wrote down the names of the ones in Konoha, she didn't steal it. We're kunoichi, Sakura, not idiots."

Sakura begged to differ. "So then what?"

Ino shrugged nonchalantly sipped her drink. "We left a note from the couple apologizing for any inconvenience and that they would cover the bill."

"You actually let them _pay_ you?"

"Jesus, Forehead. What kind of people do you think we are?"

"Ino.." Tenten started before giving the blonde a hard look. "Don't act like you didn't spend that money on a celebratory dinner."

"Ino-pig! You are the worst!" Sakura yelled. Although, truthfully she was more jealous than angry. It kind of sucked to miss out on all the excitement. Not that she would take part..

"Oh hush! It isn't like we didn't work for it! You're just sad you missed it!"

Sakura stuck her nose into the air. "Please, you guys used your power for evil, like a couple of villains."

Tenten couldn't help but laugh at Sakura's bitter expression. "C'mon Sakura-chan! Don't be so sour!"

"Yeah, Billboard Brow! Keep that up and we won't tell you the rest!"

The flowery-haired kunoichi finished her drink and raised her glass in the air for the server to come give her a refill. "You mean to tell me there is more?"

"Of course! This was only the first few days! But we'll need some food for this."

"Oink oink." Sakura muttered, earning her a soft jab in the ribs from Tenten. The blonde girl only glared before turning to face the waitress, ordering more cider as well as an array of finger foods. The rose-haired medic pretended not to notice when Ino put it on her tab.

"Shouldn't Hinata be here?" Tenten realized allowed.

"No!" The other two girls yelled in unison.

"Eh? Why not?"

"Well.." Sakura began and guzzled down a few more gulps of cider, causing her head to spin for a moment. "Even though Ino _is_ technically a blabbermouth, and don't give me that look, Pig. Anyways-"

"What she means is that I wouldn't tell anyone about this because it would lead to negative repercussions for me. However, Hinata-chan tells Naruto _everything_ we say." Sakura nodded in agreement, grimacing at the few memories of Naruto bluntly bringing up topics he shouldn't have any knowledge of.

"Alright I get it. So this stays between us." Tenten said, understanding but still feeling guilty about leaving out their friend. Then a plate of steaming food was sat in front of them and Tenten all but forgot her wariness when the delicious scent of fried tofu and grilled vegetables hit her nose.

"So tell me the rest." Sakura said before popping a piece of hot, fried tofu into her mouth, her eyes watering from the temperature.

"First of all, kampai!" The three kunoichi lifted their large glasses before drinking them dry. Ino called for more refills then continued. "Thank god for high metabolisms. Poor civilians probably get fat from all this beer."

"You're already fat, Pig-chan!" Sakura and Tenten burst into a fit of giggles before sobering enough to catch a glance of their blonde friend's expression.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Sakura said, wiping her mouth.

"So we hunted down some of the women." Ino said, glaring.

The brunette hummed in agreement as she took another long drink. "We were able to locate most of them. All but three were civilians."

"Who were the three?"

Ino shrugged. "Two of them were KIA when we were genin, I believe. And the other one works a desk job. What was her name..?"

"Nanako!" Tenten cried excitedly. "You know, the really pretty receptionist at the jounin branch of the administration building?"

Sakura bit her lip as she searched her memory and nodded vaguely. "I think I know the one. She handled my paperwork when I applied for the exam. She's not _that_ pretty."

"Jealous, Forehead-chan?" Ino guess, her oceanic eyes opened wide with mock surprise.

"Why would she be jealous? You're so much prettier than her." Tenten defended sweetly and Sakura had to fight the urge to press a big, sloppy kiss on the girl.

The pinkette blushed profusely, hoping it only looked like she had had too much to drink. Which was true. "Oh stop, Tenten. What are the other women like?"

Ino's smirk grew wider and much more devilish. "Maa maa, quite the change of heart." She paused to laugh at Sakura's glare and drank a few deep gulps, enjoying the way Sakura tapped the table impatiently. "Well, there were a lot and we put the investigation on hold until you got back. But they are all very different."

"It was strange." Tenten said, her eyes hazily seeing into her memory as she recalled the women they had spied on. "There was not a single characteristic that they all shared."

"So basically, his type is women?" Sakura asked frowning. The girls nodded and she sighed. "Figures, pervert."

"That wasn't even the best part! You'll never guess what happened at the pub last night.."

...

_Knock knock knock._

"Kakashi, there's someone at the door." Blinking a few times, a pair of tired eyes opened slowly to meet the dark gaze of the wrinkly-faced pug.

"Why are you here, Pakkun?" He rasped, rubbing his eyes, trying furiously to wipe the exhaustion from them.

"You don't remember do you?"

The tired man shook his silver locks from side to side before groaning at the throbbing pain threatening to split his head open. "Oh god, remember what? I went out with Genma last night, didn't I?"

The pug just shrugged. "Maybe you should ask her."

His eyes widened in surprise as he belatedly noticed the strawberry-blonde tangled in his sheets. Waves of nausea washed over him. "I'd rather not. Please get the door." He said as was tripping out of the bed.

The small, brown dog gave him a blank stare before going to the door. Not waiting for an answer, the jounin made his way to the bathroom and immediately started a hot shower. There was a good reason Kakashi didn't drink enjoy having Genma as a drinking buddy. Because since Shizune dumped him, the senbon-user had gotten into the terrible habit of dragging Kakashi out into the night to have adventures made for men ten years their junior. It always started and ended the exact same way.

Genma would show up. He would beg Kakashi to go out with him, promising that the silver-haired shinobi could leave after two drinks. Kakashi would stupidly agree. Then Genma would drug Kakashi's second drink. They would somehow end up in a seedy, underground bar where Genma would persuade the Copy-nin to be his wing-man. Kakashi would agree because they were _best friends_. Genma would flirt mercilessly with the prettiest girl he could find, but she would end up going home with Kakashi, and Genma wouldn't speak to him for at the very least two weeks.

Kakashi had no doubt last night's events transpired in similar fashion. He stepped into the boiling shower and rested his head again the tiles. The definition of insaity was doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results, so the jounin was either mentally insane, or just incredibly apathetic because there was so way anyone would believe he was gullible.

The door of the bathroom opened abruptly, bringing with it a burst of cold air that crept between the shower curtains, chilling the Copy-nin to the bone. "I regret the day I exchanged my doorknobs for levers." He groaned against the wall.

"You have a meeting with the Hokage."

Poking his head out, Kakashi glanced down curiously. "When?"

"Four hours ago, this is the third messenger. If you don't go now, they'll send ANBU in here to drag you there."

Rolling his glassy, bloodshot eyes, Kakashi retreated back into the steam of the shower to lather up. "What's the meeting?"

"You and Sakura have a mission."

Kakashi paused for a moment, letting the warm water wash the soap from his hair. "We're on leave for another week."

"Not anymore, you've got a mission. And be prepared, you really pissed her off this morning."

"How is that possible? I've not even spoken to her yet."

"Whatever you say boss, can you dismiss me now?" Kakashi nodded and in a second the only presence Kakashi could feel was his own. Turning the shower off, he stepped into the cool air and dried off before re-entering his bedroom only to be reminded there was someone else there. The stench of alcohol, cheap perfume and sex was so pungent, the jounin had to wonder how he hadn't noticed before.

He stared at her for a few moments, trying to put a name to her pretty, round face, but none came. Debating on whether or not he should kick her out, the Copy-nin just dressed in his jounin uniform, mindful to wear extra layers and bring a few dozen hot-hands. Kakashi grabbed one of his pre-prepared packs, complete with a copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_, and spared one last glance behind him before leaving her to sleep in peace.

Kakashi ran at top speed across the village, only pausing for five minutes to buy an aspirin and bottle of orange juice to wash it down. He arrived at the office window and was surprised to see his partner had yet to arrive. Stepping inside, Kakashi went to stand in front of the Rokudaime's desk.

"You look like hell." The azure-eyed Hokage stated, not even sparing Kakashi a glance "And you stink of regret. Did you go out with Genma?" Naruto raised his head finally to smirk at his former sensei.

"Did you call me in to discuss my private life?" Kakashi said with as much respect as his tired self could muster.

"Private? Oh Kakashi-sensei. You really don't remember anything from last night, do you?"

Kakashi continued to stare at his student and felt his pulse increase slightly. What did that mean? What did he do? "I.." He paused, realizing he had no idea how to respond.

"It's okay, I'm sure Sakura-chan's heard about it by now. She can fill you in later."

The large, oak door creaked open and the two men watched as a flush-faced Neji walked Sakura inside. Her cheeks were bright pink, and her viridian eyes were dark and hooded, giving off a sultry shade of celadon. "Thanks, Neji-kun." She grinned sweetly, completely unaware of the affect she was having on the taller boy.

"You too Sakura-chan?" Naruto cried in pseudo exasperation."Neji, I sent you to get her two hours ago."

Setting her down in the seat beside the Hokage's desk, Neji bowed deeply, his long ash-brown hair tumbling forward to hide his ashamed expression. "I apologize, Hokage-sama."

"Neji-kun! It's Ino and Tenten's fault! They threatened to tie him down and dress him as a princess if he didn't stay for a few drinks!" Sakura almost shouted, before covering her mouth in embarrassment.

"Shouldn't you be used to that by now, Neji?" Kakashi asked, his low voice causing Sakura's gaze to jerk in his direction before a deep blush burned her cheeks.

"Alright alright." Naruto laughed. "Neji, you can go. Sakura, for the love of the gods, sober up a little bit. What kind of shinobi are you two?"

"The kind who has another week of leave." The pinkette said sharply as she push a chakra-laden hand against her stomach and probed around inside her liver.

"Yes, for training! Not for gallivanting around the village like a couple of drunk teenagers." He pointed out, huffing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Kakashi and Sakura both gave him a matching stare, neither willing to point out that their Hokage had only just recently celebrated his 18th birthday. Pulling herself up, Sakura went to stand beside Kakashi, their sudden proximity making her heart race with the memory of what Ino and Tenten told her about the Copy-nin escapades the night before.

"So what's the mission, Naruto-sama?" Sakura asked weakly, another blush erupting when she felt Kakashi's curious gaze on her.

"The ANBU team I sent to Sand has returned, and Ino finally made a break-through yesterday with the rogue-nin." He paused for a breath and handed the two shinobi a pair of red scrolls. "They were unable to track down a man with the name of Matsusei Mao, but they were able to find records of his stay in Suna. However, without further assistance from the Kazekage, we couldn't do much else. Gaara wasn't able to grant us access to the village's private business records, but he is sending a squad to meet with the two of you for the mission."

"Why would he give a squad but not the records?" Sakura asked curiously and the blond-haired leader smirked slightly.

"Because he's told them everything we need to know about Mao, just without the paperwork. Anyways, Ino was able to get a confession from one of the men. He told us Mao's bi-monthly travel route to all of his hotel chains, as well as outposts and where they are located, however he didn't mention the one in Rain, so he can't be privy to everything."

Sakura shivered slightly at the mission of her blonde-friend's profession. It always gave her a nervous, sick feeling when she wondered how an interrogator was able to pry such information out of its subjects.

"If they knew we'd captured them, wouldn't he change his route?" Kakashi spoke, breaking Sakura from her dark train of thought.

Naruto took a moment to consider that then shook his head. "I doubt it. He's got insanely heavy security, it isn't likely anyone would take the risk. And Kakashi?"

"Hai." He said, his shoulders stifeening slightly.

"I've received a few copies of the updated Bingo books. You're still wanted in a few places, and without your sharingan you're much more likely to be targeted by bounty-hunters."

"I know, Hokage-sama." His usually confident, apathetic voiced had grown quiet and he failed to meet Naruto's gaze.

"I've read the reports on your training and I trust you and Sakura, along with the Sand-nin, to handle this. Okay, you're going to meet the team at Ishinako Port City in Sand, then take a ferry to Tea Country. You should reach the Tea branch of the Grand Hotel before Mao does. I want you to get as much information on his business transactions in Sand and Tea, then if you think you might a a lead or to engage the enemy, I'll send Team Gai your way, they're going to be stationed at Fire and Tea's border doing a border check. Leave as soon as possible and pack light. Dismissed."

Giving one another a long nervous glance, Sakura and Kakashi turned and exited the office, all of the light-heartedness from the past week instantly replaced with the cold, professional demeanor that often followed a strong sense of foreboding.

...


	12. Chapter 12

**AN FINALLY Sorry for the wait! I lost my chapters ****嗚嗚****, I had exams, then my mother came to visit, yada yada yada.. So yeah, I have been trying to rewrite this after losing it and it has been rather hard, but I've sucked it up. And I'm kind of glad for the mishap because an idea came to me that would change things around a bit. It's a little shorter that usual. T.T Enjoy! R&R! xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Twelve

"So, aren't you a little old to be gallivanting about town in a drunken stupor?" Sakura asked with a catty smile on her lips.

"Aren't _you_ a little young to be drinking in the middle of the day?" He countered, not bothering to look her direction to know she looked scandalized. In his weak defense, Kakashi often used his sharingan on nights out with Genma, because the swirling, red orb often acted as a camera, capturing events any other person would have forgotten, however fate had always been cruel to him.

"Hey, Ino set me up! She _knew _I would have a meeting with the Hokage and yet plowed me with drinks anyway!"

"One is only influenced as much as they wish to be, Sakura-chan." His gaze strayed from the rocky terrain of the nearing border to look down at his former pupil, both of his eyes crinkling in the corners with what Sakura knew to be a warm smile. Her heart fluttered, despite attempting to brush off the charming way his eyes turned to small crescent moons when he smiled. Inner Sakura beat those thoughts out of her before they could progress. Instead, she contemplated his words for a few brief moments. Sakura hated how he could spew the most cliche rubbish as though he were the wise, old sage who said it in the first place.

Shaking off the idle chit-chat, the pinkette moved to more pressing matters. This would be their last morning in Fire Country, and incidentally the first time either one of them spoke in anything more than three-word intervals. The air between them wasn't tense, per se, but it wasn't right. Sakura had a hard time putting her finger on it. She was mature enough to not let the events Ino had relayed to her affect the mission _too_ much, but at the same time completely putting those thoughts out of her mind only made room for darker, more sinister thoughts of failure and anticipation.

"What if we don't find Mao, or if we can't find anything on him?" Sakura asked, grasping Kakashi's hand firmly as he helped her over a rather large boulder, both trying to conserve chakra by climbing naturally.

"I'm not worried about not finding him. I'm more worried about what else we may find with him." His smooth baritones replied in monotone. His words sent a shiver of anxiety to course through the younger ninja.

Reaching the top of the small mountain, the pair took a moment to gaze across the endless sea of white sand glimmering in the soft sunlight of morning. It was agreed that they would camp out in a cave for the day and spend the night trekking the 20 miles to their checkpoint. Taking the first graceful leap towards their temporary destination, Sakura waited a moment so that Kakashi could travel next to her and continue their conversation.

"Have you read the mission scroll yet?" Sakura asked, her voice ending on a high note as she teetered on a loose rock.

Her companion was silent for a moment, causing the petal-haired medic to pause and look his way. "No, I haven't.."

Emerald eyes widened comically, wanting desperately to point out that her anal-retentive, often over prepared teammate was definitely not on it this go around, but given the current circumstances she held her tongue. "Well, the team we're going to rendezvous with has the silliest nickname."

"Oh?" Kakashi asked, his usual bored tone failing to mask his interest.

"They're call the Dream Team." Sakura was about to break into a fit of laughter, but the way her teammate's body visibly stiffened caused the mirth in her statement to wane dramatically. "What's up? Do you know them?"

"I've heard of them." He replied curtly, ending all conversation until they made camp.

...

"I _hate_ Sand Country." Sakura sighed despairingly. Although still very much ahead of schedule, spending longer than eight hours in a cave was making the impatient kunoichi a little stir-crazy, mainly because she was left entirely to her own thoughts, too embarrassed to borrow a book from Kakashi and too bored with drawing pictures of flowers in the sand. At least she'd packed a scroll with the essentials. Naruto said pack light, and Sakura had made that into an art form. She could practically seal her entire apartment into a scroll if need be. But as always, she forgot about entertainment. Because what kind of shinobi would she be if she packed games to play on a mission?

"Yeah, you may have mentioned that a few times." Kakashi exasperated and flipped another page of his book. The wind howled unforgivingly outside, making the light from their kerosine heater flit about the cavern. The stone walls quaked, sending showers of pebbles and dust to fall around the pair. The silver-haired jounin watched closely over his book as Sakura's spine straightened and her eyes darted about the cave frantically.

"Alright." Kakashi started, snapping his book shut in the process. Sakura's gaze lifted when he patted the ground beside him, signaling for her to move closer. He rolled his eyes as she hesitantly stood and took a few short steps before falling into a rigid sitting position next to him. "What's going on?" He asked sternly.

The moment Kakashi awoke to a raging storm outside, the air in the cave had been uncomfortable to say the least. His rose-haired medic had been completely on edge and entirely unable to stomach converstation between the two of them.

Her eyes were usually so expressive, so easy to read. Yet now, when Kakashi was finally able to catch her gaze, Sakura merely blushed lightly and quickly averted her attention elsewhere, but not so quickly that he couldn't make out a flicker of some unreadable emotion dancing behind her viridian gaze, just out of his reach. It was infuriating.

"Nothing." She sputtered, biting her lip. The Copy-nin gave her a pointed look that pierced the corner of her eye and she sighed in defeat. "I guess I am just.. Nervous. Our last mission was such a disaster and this freezing, freak sandstorm seems so.." She trailed off, lifting her steely-green eyes to stare unseeing before her as she searched for a fitting word. "Foreboding." She finished, a blush painting the apples of her cheeks.

Kakashi lifted his eyebrow curiously as he stared down at the young kunoichi who was obviously only voicing a portion of the thoughts racing through her head. The blush had tipped him off, and kept him wondering: What had changed between them? And when had he allowed it to happen? He smirked for a moment and wondered if it had anything to do with the trick he had pulled on her at the Lightning Daimyou's estate when she had been spying on him and Kouryou. He almost chuckled. His actions had brought on a series of very interesting events that Kakashi would eventually need to discuss with little Sakura-chan.

Realizing he had been ignoring her, Kakashi smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck while she continued. "I bet you regret not rejoining ANBU now that you're stuck with me." Cocking his head to the side, he stared back in confusion, which caused Sakura's eyes to light up angrily. "Holy hell! You don't remember sending me that note! How drunk _were_ you?"

"Enough?" He joked lamely. That must have been what Pakkun had been referring to the morning before their departure. However, Kakashi knew that was only half the story. Something else had happened that had the entire village whispering in his wake. But it was evident from the mischievous, almost embarrassed look his companion's face had taken since they were sentenced to spend the day trapped in alone in a cave that she wasn't about to tell him a thing. Well, _two_ could play at that game.

Sakura laughed quietly and rested her forehead on Kakashi's shoulder. He was transported for a moment to the last day of the jounin exams. Sakura had stepped out of the ceremony brimming with excitement. Kakashi recalled how beautiful she had looked, even with the dirt and blood plastered across her tattered clothes, her smile had been radiant and she was exuding a tangible type of happiness that was electrifying, effecting everyone around her. Then, much to his surprise, Sakura hugged _him_. Surrounded by her peers, by people who supported her decision to try for jounin, and yet Sakura had marched straight to Kakashi and thrown her arms around his neck. The feel of her taut, warm body pressed against him still flustered him.

"Sakura." He spoke quietly and watched as her messy, pink strands parted as she lifted her head. "You don't need to feel nervous. _I _trust you. And the Kazekage wouldn't send unqualified shinobi. Not to mention Team Gai will be at the border should we need any back-up." Even as he spoke the words, he himself felt a little anxious.

Despite the fact that Gai, Lee, and Sakura had all mentioned that his new influx of chakra levels had impacted his combat for the better, faint whisperings of failure could be heard in the darker corners of his mind, an unending white noise that reminded him of his shortcomings. The silver-haired ninja's memory still held a plethora of copied jutsu, and he could still perform genjutsu, albeit no longer as vicious as times prior. Kakashi hated to admit it, but the sharingan had become a crutch. He never hesitated to use it in a pinch despite knowing the havoc that would be wreaked upon his health.

The thought that he was leaning too heavily on it hadn't struck him until his first day of training with Sakura and the Green Beasts, who had turned out to be the best sparring partners, though Kakashi would never readily admit it. Without the sharingan, the Copy-nin was faster, although he no longer held the ability to accurately predict movements, many years of fighting with that ability had created a mind-link that couldn't be severed despite his loss. Since his chakra wasn't consistently leaking into his sharingan, Kakashi's chakra control was nearly on par with the azalea-haired medic leaning against him. Well, _in theory _he was on par.

Raising her head again, Sakura positioned her body so that she was facing him. Her eyes met his in an honest, warm gaze. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." She said with a small, almost coy smile.

"No problem, Sakura-chan." The older shinobi lifted his hand and ruffled her hair, noticing the almost luxurious way the soft, rosy strands of her floral hair shifted beneath the rough pads of his fingertips. Letting his touch linger a moment longer, Kakashi's fingers smoothed out her mussed locks. Unconsciously, his fingers gently traced the soft curve of her jaw before tucking a fallen strand behind her ear. Her flushed skin burned beneath his hand, causing the Copy-nin to feel reluctant to pull away.

Had her eyes always sparkled like that? A myriad of swirling greens, ever-changing to perfectly encompass every emotion. He felt something start deep inside him. It was happening again, the attraction he felt towards her was palpable and impossible to ignore. In such a short time their relationship had progressed past comrades, even friendship. Her unbridled need to help him become the best he can be despite his obvious handicap had made it more difficult to turn a blind eye to the affection he had always held for the girl. The older jounin had always enjoyed the way their interactions always teetered on the fine line between banter and flirtation, _especially_ since Sakura and her friends had vowed to uncover the "feelings" he must have had for her. As if he hadn't known.

And although the famed Copy Ninja would readily accept how others assumed he was not a man of feelings, he was still human. He just had better control over his emotions than most people. However as that thought quietly attempted to reassure him, he was already losing the battle with himself. The irrepressible desire to close the gap between them, be it literal or otherwise, was overtaking the silver-haired shinobi. Still cupping his medic's pretty face, Kakashi dipped his head low enough to experimentally brush a pair of masked lips against a warm, soft pair of perfectly pink ones, taking note of the way Sakura's eyes slid shut as she leaned into him.

...


	13. Chapter 13

**AN Thanks so much everyone for your positive feedback! Despite this mostly being a character piece with some action, I always have a hard time creating new characters and this time was so exception, so let me know what you think about them! R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Thirteen

The lack of sunlight in Ishinako Port city always left Sakura with a unsettlingly tangible feeling of disquiet. Always a little suspicious, the pinkette couldn't help but wonder if her Hokage had planned out this journey as a form of punishment for her conduct of late. First they travelled though Sand, her former teammate knowing full-well how much the country ruffled her feathers and put the kunoichi on an unprofessional edge. But, they didn't go to Suna, instead they were rendezvousing at the seaport where they would then take a ferry to Tea country when they could have just as easily traveled trough Fire, then Tea, then made the rendezvous at their destination.

Now, Sakura didn't hate many things, as a matter of fact she was much more

accommodating than people believed. She had to be, her lifestyle left little room for insubordination or luxury. However, there were a few things she did hate. One was traveling through Sand. Although her first true mission in Sand had resulted in a turning point in her career, she still felt uncomfortable in Sand. One of her biggest adversaries hailed from Suna. Also, so many complex poisons were developed in Suna and medic-nin knew the moment a toxicant would be identified as coming from Sand Country, that you better have a damn good extraction technique because far less antidotes came out of Sand than poisons.

Of course, in her mind those were legitimate reasons to feel uneasy. But disliking Ishinako was mostly as a result of seasickness. It struck the rosette as odd, however, that Naruto would want her to take a ferry knowing damn well he was susceptible to the discomfort caused by a rocking boat. But that reason could apply to any place where boating was required.

"Something on your mind, Sakura?" Shaking her head she turned to see her partner searching her face curiously.

It took a few moments for her to sort out the thoughts running rampant through her head. Being left-brain dominant, Sakura found herself sometimes being consumed into analyzing every piece of information gathered inside her mind. Now, she was analyzing how her trepidations about their mission could lead to negative repercussions, how the Rokudaime was most definitely using his position of power to punish her, and how interaction between her and her former sensei were absolutely normal and that state of normalcy created a suffocating awkwardness that she was certain was entirely in her imagination.

"Nothing, I guess." She shrugged noncommittally. "Just thinking about the last time I was here." Sakura was never much of a liar and everyone knew that. Her tendency to over compensate was generally her downfall. Very rarely was she given missions where she was required to lie without the aid of backup or drugs. But she was good at improvising, and her mind was quick enough to aide in deception. Although, she had been to Ishinako before, but that had been the farthest thing on her mind.

Raising a silver eyebrow, Kakashi set his book on his lap. "Oh? When was that?"

"About last year.. Shikamaru and I were assisting in an escort mission. These enemy-nin were following us and waited until we arrived here to attack. Which in their defense was smart."

"Mm. Because when the sky is overcast there aren't many, if any, opportunities to create shadows."

"Right, but I find it funny that anyone truly thinks they could defeat Shikamaru. Especially when one of the wagons of the caravan was full of spotlights." She grinned at the memory. That had been a good fight.

Kakashi chuckled. "I suppose I understand." They fell into silence again, one that for the most part seemed comfortable on her companions side, seemingly unaware of the tension between them. Unaware or apathetic. The latter being more likely.

The azalea-haired medic glanced at her watch and almost groaned aloud. They had arrived to the checkpoint six hours early and one could only reread the missions scroll so many times until exhaustion set in. The plus was, however, that the visitor's center at the seaport had a cozy, heated waiting area full of plush couches and wood-burning fireplaces. The drawbacks being that the only reading material were travel brochures and the food selection comprised of cup noodles and candy.

Settling herself for comfortably on the small, lush couch she shared with Kakashi, Sakura let her head rest onto the arm and felt her eyes grow heavy with thoughts of what had transpired between the team members just a short day and a half ago.

...

...

...

Sakura was the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and her skin tingled with excitement. However, confusion clouded her mind, sending the pinkette into a state of muddled ambivalence.

Her eyes fluttered opened to reveal a pair of grey and black eyes staring back at her, the incongruous depths emanating the confusion she herself was struggling with. Wait.. Confusion? When had her former sensei ever been confused? Sure, she had seen him feign it a few times, and maybe once or twice he had been caught off guard, but confused? The mien didn't suit him, and yet something about it intrigued her.

Gai-sensei had told her it was only a matter of time before his beloved rival would become so overwhelmed by the sudden 'cataclysmic shift in his universe, that he would no doubt give into the passions of his youth with a feeling of confusion, but ultimately seize his life with a new sense of vigor.' However, Gai's philippic had been an evanescent thought to Sakura.

Still breathless but overwrought with curiosity, Sakura was the first to speak. "That was a little.."

"Strange." Her teammate finished quickly, his unreadable gaze still focused entirely on her lips.

"Why did you-"

"I don't know."

Sakura wet her lips, an action that didn't go unnoticed by her counterpart. Kakashi wasn't the type of person to do something like this, and yet the idea that he would abandon that part of his personality for a moment to kiss her was interesting. Her mind wandered over to the adulterated memory of the Copy Ninja pressing himself against her, and kissing her with just the right amount of fervor.

_I'll bet he was holding back then. That was just a genjutsu, think of what he is really capable of. _A blush spread across her body at the thought, warming her insides and tickling her toes. She had a pretty good idea what the famous Copy-nin was capable of, she had been audience to it once before. _Just do it. No one's around._ Sakura clenched her teeth, willing herself to ignore the devil on her shoulder. _You know you like him. Respect him. Not to mention what Ino and Tenten would say.._

Throwing caution to the wind, the candy-haired medic turned her attention back to her partner, who was watching her mental exchange through half-lidded eyes with amusement. Smiling what she hoped was a seductive smile, Sakura lifted her hand and hooked her finger beneath the fabric of Kakashi's mask and pulled it down without another moment of hesitation.

"Do you think we could-" But before she could finish her sentence, the starry-haired jounin had tangled his hands into her pink tresses and pulled her towards him. Sakura gasped in surprise against his lips, and scrambled to compose herself. With the look he had been giving her, the rosette rather expected his kisses to be fiery and hard to keep up with, but on the contrary they were rather reserved, like he was holding himself back, a thought that both flattered and irritated Sakura. Why was he even kissing her to begin with?

Tilting her head, Kakashi flicked his tongue across his medic's bottom lip, trying to illicit a reaction from her. It was evident, though unexpected, that he had caught her by surprise. Sakura seemed willing, but her unsure movements indicated that her mind was preoccupied, no doubt over analyzing the supposed meaning behind this, which he had planned on doing later. But not now, now he wanted to hear the soft sounds he had brought on during her trance not one month ago. In hindsight, Kakashi realized that decision was poor and had doomed him to a life of uncontrollable attraction for his former pupil.

Kakashi pulled away and surveyed the girl's appearance with a cocked eyebrow. He didn't kiss many women, but when he did they certainly didn't react this way. Determined to shake Sakura out of her perplexed stupor, the older jounin decided to seize his moment of weakness further, because who knew when he would let his defenses fall again.

He leaned forward and pressed his bare lips against the cavern of Sakura's ear and smiled a little as goosebumps erupted over her skin. Untangling his hand from her hair, he let his fingers lightly graze across the soft skin of her exposed neck, traveling downwards to lightly follow the outline of her sports bra beneath the hugging fabric of her black shirt.

The sound of her increased heartbeat urged him to continue. "You think far too much." He breathed into Sakura's ear before pressing a kiss onto her neck, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his lips. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she grasped his jounin vest, pulling him closer to her.

Sakura was absolutely melting into Kakashi's touch. His languid, almost lazy ministrations were deliberate in their purpose. She could feel the telltale signs of arousal boiling deep inside her, warming her skin and laboring her breaths. His tongue was lightly traipsing over her neck, drawing figure eights. And if anyone thought too much, it was him. _Just shut up and enjoy it!_

But she couldn't, at least not completely. Even as he lifted his lips to meet her own and kissed her as though his life depended on, Sakura couldn't really enjoy it. She was incapable of being anyone but herself, unlike Kakashi apparently, and therefore couldn't enjoy kissing him without understanding why it was happening. Of course, she was the only one in the team who knew of his antics at the bar not one week ago. But he was drunk. And Sakura didn't believe _in vino veritas_. It had no scientific backing, it was just something people said to excuse their poor, drunken behavior. Kakashi was a pretty composed man though, and she wouldn't be surprised if he was the type to do and say things while in a drunken haze that he was too reserved to admit under a normal setting.

Apparently losing a bit of his carefully restrained patience, Kakashi nipped at her lip, causing her lips to part in surprise. A soft groan vibrated from the man when Sakura shoved the offending thoughts from her brain and ran her hands up the surface of his hardened chest to wrap her arms behind his neck, her tongue lightly pushing against his own.

As much as he had wanted to continue, however, the Copy-nin knew when something wasn't right. Of course, the sweet taste of Sakura's chapstick and the soft skin of her neck felt very much right, it was Sakura who seemed off. He sighed against her lips, a little thankful she was so distracted, otherwise he might not have noticed that the sandstorm had quit, or remembered how they were on a mission and she was his partner and friend and not someone he could simply lavish whenever the need overcame him.

When he dropped his hands and pulled away, the older shinobi was careful to school his expression into one of boredom rather than dejection. He watched as Sakura's carefully sculpted pink eyebrows furrowed together to form tiny frown lines around her eyes and nose, giving her the most effective pout he had ever seen, one he almost gave into.

But he didn't. He didn't ask what was wrong, or what was going through her head. And he certainly didn't explain himself. Instead, he stood up and forced a smile to his lips, forgetting that his mask was down. "The storm's let up. It will be dark soon. Let's move out."

...

...

...

Sakura felt the sensation of shinobi chakra signatures tickling her sense and pulled herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She watched for a moment as her teammate stood up and pocketed his book before exiting the lounge, knowing Sakura would follow. The short walk to the marina had been, for the first time on Kakashi's side, tense. Sakura wasn't entirely sure why, but her former teacher was displaying symptoms of apprehension about meeting up with their team, something she would get to the bottom of at another time.

"Kakashi!" A female voice rang out loudly, causing a few passersby to jerk their attention towards the direction of the voice. Then suddenly they were standing before two people: a tall, sophisticated-looking blonde and a broody, handsome redhead.

"Yo." Kakashi replied coolly, earning an eye-roll from both herself and the woman standing her opposite. After a long, awkward pause, the silver-haired shinobi chuckled rather sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh right, this is my teammate, Haruno Sakura."

"Forgotten your manners I see." The blonde accused with a smirk.

"Maa maa, I know how much you enjoy taking charge and assumed you would take care of the introductions." This statement caused Sakura's eyebrows to shoot up near her hairline. This entire exchange seemed very _very _familiar.

"Right, hello Sakura-san. My name Dasuto Kuroki. And this is my partner, Ishibashi Ringo."

Bowing politely, Sakura took a moment to survey their new team members' appearance. Kuroki wasn't pretty, she was stunning, exuding the kind of aristocratic beauty that, had Sakura been a few years younger, she might have felt entirely inferior to. The pinkette wasn't sure how old Kuroki was, but given her familiarity with Kakashi, she had to assumed much closer to his age. The obvious team captain was tall with long, thin limbs. She had sharp, angular features with prominent cheekbones accentuated by her slight frame. Long, ash-blond locks tumbled down her back, and from what little exposed skin Sakura could see, she had a lovely light, olive skin-tone. Suddenly the name rang a bell in her head.

"Dasuto? Like the Fourth Kazekage?" She asked suddenly, then bit her tongue, realizing her social folly.

"The one and only." The blonde replied, obviously taking no offense in Sakura's blatant questioning.

"We should probably get on the ferry before we have to wait." Another voice chimed in and Sakura chided herself for momentarily forgetting his presence. Ishibashi Ringo was clearly younger than his team captain. Ringo's features didn't have the chromatic flow that Kuroki did. His rusty, maroon-colored hair stuck out in every direction, falling around his eyes to frame his boyishly handsome, tanned face. His eyes were dark and piercing, giving him a look that reminded her of a past teammate. Thick eyebrows were pulled into what Sakura assumed to be a permanent look of discontent. Kuroki nodded in agreement and locked arms with a reluctant starry-haired jounin beside Sakura before moving towards the docks. Ringo and herself followed close behind.

"Where is your sister, Kuroki? I know the Dream Team isn't complete without her." Kakashi asked curiously as he tried to put a bit more distance between himself and the blonde dragging him forward, and Sakura could hear a faint tone of suspicion lacing his words. Knowing Kakashi must have been after something, The petal-haired jounin watched closely for Kuroki's reaction.

Sakura's eyes immediately noticed the way Kuroki's free hand twitched slightly, her thumb rubbing a small ring located around her middle finger. "Asagao's actually training to be in special-ops right now. She's not allowed to leave the village for three months during training."

She glanced beside her to read Ringo's reaction but was a little frustrated when his broody expression remained unreadable.

"Ah." Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Well, I suppose the next team member will have some pretty big shoes to fill."

Kuroki hummed in agreement and let go of his arm to hand over four tickets for the ferry, and that unexplainable feeling of foreboding settled again in the pit of Sakura's stomach. That, or it was just anticipatory sea-sickness.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN Sorry guys for the wait. I got a little confused with how to present the next part of the story, not to mention my only free time is spend relaxing because school hates me. Mandarin Chinese really hates me. And I've been a little hooked on the Taiwanese Drama version of Skip Beat. BTW idk if Bisuke speaks, but he does now. He's such a cute little ninken! AND Yay for good guy Kahashi in this chapter! My hero! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. It was a bitch and half to figure out. Please R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Fourteen

Kakashi couldn't help but notice that since the moment they had made port, Sakura had been trying to make a suspicious amount of eye contact with him. At first he thought, and maybe secretly hoped, she was giving him glad-eyes, but his hopes were dashed the moment he finally was able to hold her gaze. Those bright, jade eyes were grave, taking on a darker, more stony hue than he was used to seeing.

That had been three days ago. Kakashi had been unable to get his teammate alone for three straight days, which was another piece of a very large puzzle that was slowly fitting into place.

Something had happened during their journey across the still waters that had Sakura on edge. How could he have missed it? Sakura spent the entire ten hour journey ether passed out in the cabin or draped across the toilet, emptying her uneasy stomach.

He had gotten too comfortable with the idea of working with familiar faces, lost his sense of danger, something he was positive only happened to old people. Or idiots. 'Oh god am I losing my touch?'

"Hatake-san. The informant Kuroki-kun mentioned is heading this way." Startled from his thoughts, Kakashi turned to meet the empty gaze of Ringo and cursed himself for being so easily distracted. "Would you like me to cast the genjutsu?"

Staring at the younger man for a moment, the jounin had to wonder if the carrot-top was being a smart-ass. Rather than ponder for any longer he simply nodded and hopped down from his hiding place in the trees and waited, the tingling way a faint chakra signature grew stronger with each passing second keeping him grounded.

Falling around them like a veil, Ringo's genjutsu fell into place and Kakashi was immediately reminded why they were called the Dream Team.. No sharingan could compete with Ringo's skill.

Knowing he would have to finish the job on his own, Kakashi spared a glance to his partner, nodded in acknowledgement, and watched as Ringo disappeared towards the town to meet with an allied shinobi from one of the founding clans, apparently one of the only clans not affiliated with Mao.

Not thirty seconds later, Kakashi's nose caught three distinct scents floating on the wind and he rapidly began to realize that it wasn't one chakra signature growing closer, but a close-knit, three man cell coming closer. And fast.

Kakashi sighed when he felt the chakra signatures split off on different directions. "Can't have that happening.." With lightening fast precision, Kakashi laid our his scroll, bit his thumb, and smeared the blood across the seal, muttering a quiet _Tsuiga no Jutsu._

Instantaneously, eight puffs of smoke dissipated to reveal a pack of surprised, but ready ninken.

"What's the word, Boss?" Pakkun spoke quietly, already able to the smell the encrouching danger.

"Three messenger-nin. I've got the water-type, I believe he is the one heading straight for us. I need you all to split up and subdue the other two by any means necessary.." He saw a couple of tails wagging, "but don't kill them." The wagging stopped immediately.

Nodding his tiny, wrinkled head for a moment, Pakkun listened to the sounds of the steps echoing around them, a soft pitter-patter only heard by the keen ears of the tracker canines. "The heading east has a limp, and traveling by ground. Guruko, Akino, and Urushi tail after. Ūhei, Bull, and Shiba will follow the nin heading northwest."

Without further instruction the six ninken disappeared underground leaving Kakashi, Pakkun, and Bisuke. Fully understanding the situation, Pakkun repeated out loud what he already knew to do. "Bisuke, stay with Kakashi and keep us informed of the rest. I assume I am to find Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi gave a short nod, "Make sure she is alone."

In a flash they were alone and Kakashi glanced down at his caramel-coloured companion, whom was absolutely brimming with pure excitement. "The target will be here in forty-five seconds, sir, what is the plan of action?"

"He's under a genjutsu, but probably isn't sure which one yet."

Swiftly Kakashi's hands ran through the signs until in Bisuke's place, a perfect copy of himself appeared, and with the added benefit of extra chakra, he was able to make the runt even emit an aura identical to his master's. Kakashi could tell Bisuke was surprised to be apart of a jutsu Kakashi _never _employed, but understood regardless.

Kakashi created a raiton kage-bunshin and quickly himself and Bisuke sunk into the earth just before his target materialized in the small meadow, although the messenger-nin didn't appear to be surprised to see someone waiting for him, in fact, if Kakashi was reading it correctly, the raven-haired nin looked as though he had been expecting someone other than the unrecognizable, brown-haired nobody who stood before him now.

"What do you want?" He asked as his speedy footfalls slowed to a stop a mere ten meters away from Kakashi.

"You must be Tan." Kakashi said as he casually pulled out a universal bingo-book, a compilation of Missing-nin from all the allied countries and began to read aloud. "Masamune Tan. Age twenty-three. Water-type. Native of Kirigakure. MIA during the Fourth Shinobi War. Wanted in Water for denouncing the war effort and abandoning the village. Wanted in Lightening and Earth for trading and selling information as well as delivering black-market goods across borders. Rank: A. Status: Missing-nin. Show extreme prejudice."

The older jounin had memorized the entry and frequently glanced towards the young man to gauge his reactions, which were writ far too plainly for such a skilled shinobi. Snapping the book shut, Kakashi stuffed it back into his pack and carefully read the shinobi before him.

Tan's emotions, though still hidden quite well, were in fact dancing across his boyish, heart-shaped face clear as day to the trained former-ANBU. Surprise, confusion, anger, and then nothing. The smooth, light skin of the boy's face fell into a stoic, unmoving mask.

"Where is my team?" Tan questioned evenly.

"Your team?" Kakashi tapped a gloveless finger on his bare chin, noticing for the first time that he hadn't shaved in days. Then he ran a finger through his chestnut locks and nodded. "Oh, them. They're being taken care of. If you want to avoid casualties, you really shouldn't split up."

Tan's face twisted in contempt, his light-green eyes burning with rage, almost reaching a level of fiery green Kakashi thought only the pinkette possessed. "Split up is a relative term. Of course, I didn't expect to run into some low-life bounty hunter today. So if you will, get to the point. I'm running late for an appointment."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow and processed the boy's word's carefully. Just _who _did he expect? Shaking off the unease for the fifth time that day, Kakashi locked eyes with Tan. "I'm not a bounty hunter. But I'm sure you'll be wishing I was soon." He said without an ounce of humor in his voice, just a cool confidence he always strove to exude.

Rolling his eyes, Tan pulled out something small and black and Kakashi watched as the item grew ten times its size, shaping into a long, elegantly crafted qing, a weapon Kakashi had always admired but never mastered.

Without delay, the young man charged towards him, his spear pointed directly to the left of Kakashi's head. Quickly, the Konoha-nin pulled out a sheathed tantō to deflect the blade, but he was unprepared for the reverb, and the qing swayed to the side before colliding with his tantō a second time and completely knocked Kakashi off balance and allowed Tan to land to plant a powerful kick into Kakashi's chest.

In a flash of blue light, the clone exploded into a tangible cloud of electricity, the force of the jutsu sending a wave of tweeting chakra into Tan and tossing him twenty feet backwards, leaving him confused and shaking from the shocking backfire to his plan.

Taking advantage of his opponents short-lived bewilderment, Kakashi and Bisuke blossom from the earth in the form of only one brown-haired shinobi. The jounin couldn't help but smirk when he realized he was still invisible from the genjutsu Ringo had cast only moments before.

He turned to look Bisuke in the eye and was startled for a moment by how intricate a job he had managed in transforming his ninken into a perfect copy of himself. The dog readied himself in a fighting stance and Kakashi swiftly exited the battle zone.

Kakashi reached into the pack residing near his back and unzipped it, fingering the twine secured to the kunai. tossing the small blades out in a deliberate fashion, the jounin carefully created a web of razor-sharp string, the fine lines sparkled slightly under the afternoon sun.

He arrived back just in time to see his counterpart's disappointed expression when his target turned into a log, obviously thwarting his well executed _Sennen Goroshi. _It was impossible not to chuckle.

Shaking his head, Kakashi bounded into the trees to exact Tan's position. Obviously feeling his presence, Tan blindly swung his qing, to which Kakashi leapt backwards and lured the man through his maze of wires, hissing sounds erupted from his target as the green-eyed man tripped and fell, letting the sharp twine slice into his skin.

"Okay enough playtime." Kakashi heard him mutter and turned around to see a still-standing Tan relinquishing the damp earth of its moisture. The water swirled around Tan's spear and Kakashi watched in amazement as the number of droplets grew until a tower of water was looming over the forest.

Tan pushed against the earth and sailed into the sky, then at the peak of his leap, he sliced through the air, the spear's momentum sending him, as well as the water, spinning like a cyclone. Kakashi's eyes widened when he large droplets turned razor-sharp and began showering the forest in a downpour of watery needles.

"Bisuke! Retreat!" Kakashi shouted just before descending into the ground below. As he traveled through the now parched earth, Kakashi had decided that this was getting old fast and he was wasting time and chakra. Reaching Bisuke, he dropped the two jutsu and grabbed the pup before pushing himself out of the dirt to meet Tan face to face.

Kakashi dropped the agile pooch onto the ground and watched as his inky eyes glazed over, obviously having a mental conversation with the other ninken. Turning his gaze back to Tan, Kakashi saw that his opponent's green-eyes were sweeping over his body, eliciting an impressed expressed. Confused, the older shinobi glanced down and realized he'd been hit, a lot.

"I've been working on this jutsu for weeks, I never expected it to work so well."

"What does a courier-nin need with such a high-level jutsu?" Kakashi asked as he folded his arms across his chest, his stiff expression the only indication of the now terribly evident pain burning through his body was.

Without warning, six dogs appeared in the clearing and dropped the heavy burdens of two unconscious shinobi. Tan rolled his eyes and sighed with exasperation.

"Taken down by a bunch of dogs? Pathetic." A few growls could be heard and Kakashi realized just how exhausted he was of this punk-kid.

"Alright, guys. Tie him up." Doing as they were told, the dogs weaved around the missing-nin, capturing him in thin cacoon of rope before he could process exactly what had happened.

Stalking forward, Kakashi questioned for the 300th time in his career why he had taken up the offer of training in the interrogation department. Everyone else he knew turned that role down offer down.

He stole his thoughts away for a moment when he recalled the day Sakura received an invitation to work for the interrogation department. She had been so honored and so excited that her skills were being recognized by one of the most prestigious organizations in the village. It had taken three hours to talk her out of it.

"_There's a good reason your friend Ino goes home crying. And why Shikamaru works more than any other jounin his age. Torture and Interrogation is an unforgiving, unrelenting field that follows you for years like a dark, looming raincloud."_

Shrugging off the memory and trying forget how large and full of sadness her eyes had become at hearing his words, Kakashi instead focused again on Tan and used his rudimentary medical skills to heal his own wounds until the blood stopped dripping.

Sakura would be furious, no doubt, and scream at him for sealing possible harmful bacteria beneath his skin to fester and infect him. A chill ran down his spine at the thought.

"Why are you working for Mao?" Kakashi asked bluntly.

A smirk spread across Tan's thin lips. "So you _are_ the famous 'Hero of the Sharingan' aren't you? We've all been warned that you and your little medic-nin would be investigating around here."

Kakashi pulled a kunai from his pack and took a few steps towards Tan then jammed the blade just beneath the boy's ribs and left the weapon in its place. "Listen, kid. I know that you make think being a crook makes you tough, but I've had a long day and I don't want to waste my time breaking you."

"Long day?" Tan coughed slightly, wheezing in pain. "Well I have all afternoon now." He spit in the direction of Kakashi's face and frowned when the ball of saliva missed.

Taking another more slender kunai from a different pouch, Kakashi planted it into the muscular flesh of Tan's shoulder, the boy's pained howling stinging his sensitive ears in the process. "So how long have they been your teammates?"

Tan's light eyes darkened as his pupils dilated dramatically, and his face flushed as the numbness swam around him. "You.. drugged me? W-what is this?"

Kakashi couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Of course I drugged you. You think I want to listen to some kid spouting nonsense all afternoon? Now, here's the deal. It is going to be very hard to resist spilling your guts to me. So either do it without argument or your partners will feel the pain I've so generously spared you from." His bored voice ended in a menacing whisper and at that moment Tan truly understood the weight of the situation.

"How did this turn on me..?" He breathed out. "She said you'd be easy to take down without your sharingan."

"Who said that?" Kakashi coaxed, a bit more gently this time, albeit anger was burning just beneath the surface.

"That blonde chick with da- I mean Kenshin."

A sigh of frustration escaped his lips, all he was getting was more names with no explanation. "Bull, the girl." And without having to be asked twice, the large behemoth of a dog grazed a blade into the pretty kunoichi's side, creating a painful but manageable wound. The pain jolted her awake and she began glancing around frantically.

"Aka. Don't you dare say a word." Tan demanded, sluggishly turning his gaze towards the shaking girl. Her wide, magenta eyes squeezed shut in pain and hot tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Aka and Tan." Kakashi hummed aloud. "Akatan." He couldn't help wondering if the Akatan yaku of koi-koi was their namesake.

"Leave him alone!" Aka screamed shrilly in a voice that was reminiscent of a certain twelve year old girl. The same girl whose nineteen year old self needed to get the hell out of his thoughts so he could pay these two proper attention.

"This is going to save me so much time." Kakashi muttered to himself in realization.

The girl was obviously terrified and young and terribly vulnerable. It almost pained Kakashi to have to exploit her weaknesses when she should be at home, in her own village, surrounded by the safety of her own friends. He realized that his sympathy sprouted from the fleeting thought that this could have been Sakura all those years ago if Sasuke had accepted her plea.

Kakashi ripped a piece of his cloak off and deftly tied it around Tan's face, gagging him into reluctant silence. "Aka," He turned to her, his grey and charcoal gaze was penetrating and harsh, and the young woman struggled against her bonds, wanting nothing more than to get far away. "What is the information you were delivering to Mao's stronghold in Tea?"

She shook her head furiously and Kakashi sighed and began to pool chakra into his hand until the blue static started to spark and chirp. He grabbed his wrist to contain the power, forgetting the way his chakra moved much faster now than it had in his younger days.. before his most precious weapon had been taken from him. Suddenly a surge of vindication ripped through his body, heating him to the core.

"You know who I am. Don't make me do this." He waited for a moment as she watched in horror. Pulling his now controlled hand back, Kakashi turned his eyes back to Tan's steely green ones and made to pierce through the boy's heart-

"STOP!" Aka screamed, and Kakashi obeyed, his fingertips pressed against her partner. "They are trade routes, contacts, and buyers. The Grand Hotel in Tea is new, so we were to deliver the scrolls to Kenshin."

"Who is Kenshin?"

"He's the operator of the trades in this sector. Mao has a right hand man for every establishment, Kenshin overseas the transactions between Wind and Tea."

"And how is it that you two are privy to such high-level information?"

"Kenshin is our father. He's not a shinobi, he's just a businessmen. Mao's had the strings pulled in our family for a long time. We have to do whatever the superiors say or risk the lives of our family. We're the only shinobi."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Then how is it that Tan is in a bingo book and you are not?"

"I wasn't a formal ninja. When the war started, I left with my father to Tea country. I had no idea what Tan had done until he came to us, telling us to flee. We didn't listen and since then, we've worked for Mao."

The older jounin nodded and tried to process this information. She wasn't lying, he knew, because she was far too transparent. Far too _untrained_. But that didn't make his decision any easier. They weren't just cronies devoted to Mao for money, they were kids playing grown-up for their captive family. Kakashi knew if he set them free, they'd snitch in a second to spare their loved ones. But he _was_ from a village of bleeding hearts.

"What about him?" Kakashi motioned to the third person, a burly man who laid unconscious next to Aka.

Her fuchsia eyes roamed over the third man in her party and she shook her head, uncaring. "He was just hired to keep an eye on us. He's all muscle and no brain."

Kakashi tapped a finger to his chin in thought. To kill or to manipulate? It was a tough decision. He looked to a very forgotten and very exhausted Tan, who's flush skin had adopted a pallor shade that was at best worrisome.

"Okay." The now chestnut-haired jounin pulled out a pen and a notepad, tools he had never used but Sakura had insisted all of them have at all times. Scratching coordinates and a small note, Kakashi realized he was taking a big risk by helping these two, but he couldn't help but admire their devotion to family. "Here, go to this location. You will be engaged on sight and as soon as that happens, drop your weapons in surrender and hand this to whomsoever finds you."

He waited patiently and Urushi gnawed the ropes apart and Aka's small, gloved hand reached out for the slip of paper. "Don't remove those kunai." He pointed to her brother. "Or he will surely bleed out. Get there as fast as you can, and I'll take care of your watchdog."

Her eyes shined beautifully, reflecting an earnest image of complete gratitude until a flash of something darker passed across her round face. "What about my family?"

"By surrendering to Konoha, you're putting yourself in a great deal of debt. You will aid me and my teammate in the success of our mission, and in return, I will help free your family. But I need you healthy."

Biting her lip, she nodded nervously. "What is your mission?"

"Take down Matsusei Mao at any cost."

...


	15. Chapter 15

**AN Hi guys! ****好久沒寫！ ****Man my life is hectic right now. I'm moving soon so packing is a thing, finals are coming up, then my much anticipated trip back home is creeping up on me. Shippuden has been unbelievably good lately! I can barely stand it! Anyways, thank you guys so much for the favourites and follows, but I want to especially thank my reviewers. I love writing, but your words keep me going and it means so much to know your thoughts about something I'm creating. This chapter is a little slow, but I've been sick so forgive me! ****嗚嗚！****Please R&R! xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Fifteen

"Reading that filth even in death I see." Sakura said as she waltzed into the dark hotel room. "It smells like dog in here."

"Obviously." The older jounin rasped beneath a large pile of dogs. "And I'm not dead yet."

"Well, Pakkun made it seem like you were on the verge."

"Such little faith in me. The whole lot of you."

Sakura rolled her eyes and dropped the henge, platinum hair changing, and varying hues of pink began to bleed from her scalp and almond-shaped brown eyes grew wider, the irises subtly brightening to a polished jade. Kakashi sighed despite himself. She really was terribly lovely.

His gaze didn't stray from her form as she slipped the hotel uniform off to reveal red under-armor. The ruby material hugged her tiny waist, accentuating the slight curve of her narrow hips. Her back was smooth, light reflecting off the delicate, muscles that flexed beneath the fabric and Kakashi noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. It was impossible not to hope she would turn around and give him a view of her tiny, pert breasts. _'What the fuck is wrong with me?'_

"Pakkun." Kakashi said shortly, forcing his thoughts to more pressing manners than being depressed Sakura had slipped a medic vest over her shirt. "Explain yourself. It has been four hours."

"I'm afraid it's my fault." Sakura cut in quickly, sparing the pug. She grabbed her medical kit and pulled a chair next to Kakashi's bed. The pack instinctively left the warmth of their captain's side and scattered about the room. "I've been practicing concealing my chakra and scent."

It took every ounce of what remained of Kakashi's strength to not voice the fifty (minimum) reasons why that was absolutely absurd and instead set aside his book. He glared at the bright green cover for a moment. What was supposed to be his barrier and his outlet had betrayed him and made Kakashi's thoughts about his former student turn dark and sensual.

"Helloooo, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, noting the way his exposed face scowled at his most prized possession.

With a jolt he turned his eyes to meet hers and gave her a tired smile. It was weak, and wouldn't be there once she got started patching him up, but it was a nice smile, one that pulled the right corner of his mouth, right next to a scar cutting through his lip that Sakura found to be most appealing, upwards and deepened the faint lines around his eyes.

"When was the last time you shaved?" She made a face and ran her fingers over the course, silver whiskers painting the bottom half of his face in a light shadow.

"Where's Kuriko?" He countered, ignoring her comment and slipping off his blue shirt. The sudden change in his voice cause the pinkette to slip into medic-mode.

"She's having dinner with one of the hotel's invest- Hatake Kakashi!"

He was about to ask what, but the jolting pain of her hand smacking the back of his head cut him off.

"You are absolutely hopeless! Where would you be without medic-nin?! And how fucking often have you thanked _any _of the nice shinobi who've drained themselves fixing you? My bet is never! And the thing is, if you would just use your brain and take a few proper moments to care for yourself, then you wouldn't need us all the time!"

She pulled back and took a few breaths, counting to ten as her former teacher looked away, embarrassed. A light blush painted the top of his high cheek bones and she sighed in defeat. "It's just, now I'm going to have to cut open all of your wounds and clean them. I can mend them, but my chakra can't disinfect. I can only repair them and reduce the pain."

He sighed, guilty. He knew she was right and even though he had prepared himself for her onslaught, this time it felt different. The times he'd received emergency medical condition, the times he'd been operated on, purified, brought back to life at the last minute... The number was insurmountable. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have been practicing my concealment techniques, that was foolish." Shaking her head, she pulled on a pair of gloves and gave him a bright smile. "Let's get started, shall we? Oh, and I can't give you any drugs because it will thin your blood out. So let's keep you distracted. Tell me how you know Kuriko."

Kakashi smirked at the subtleness. However, since reading with her this close to him was absolutely out of the question, he decided to indulge her. "Jealous?" He felt a chakra scalpel rip through his recent wound none too delicately and winced. Never piss off the medic.

"We met about fifteen years ago." He paused to sigh as she pooled warm chakra into his flesh, the fluttery feeling almost strong enough to conceal the unbearable stinging of alcohol being scrubbed into the tiny wounds. "I was hired to assassinate this political figurehead."

Sakura could barely contain her excitement. Kakashi almost _never _talked about his time in ANBU. This was possibly better than seeing his face. "Here, drink something." She handed a canteen and waited with little patience, trying to focus entirely on the dozens of tiny cuts scattered across his upper body.

"This guy had bought a scroll stolen from the Konoha vault and was planning to use it to gain more political power. Kuriko was hired to seduce him."

"Yeah she seems good at that." Sakura said absently, her brows furrowed in concentration, but her thoughts thinking back on her new partner's amazing skills at seduction.

"She's a highly trained specialist. In Suna, it is considered a high honor to be chosen and trained for this field. Anyways, so she was to seduce him, steal the scroll, and smear his name." He paused to take another drink and he noticed Bisuke had curled up in Sakura's lap. The tiny terrier always did have a sweet spot for the medic.

"We were both tracking him and both very aware of the other's presence. After about three days we lead each other to this seedy dive in the red light district of the city. She was a rookie and it was evident. I knew her plan the moment she sat down with me and I believe that if she had heard of me and schemed accordingly I wouldn't have faired well.. Point is, I let her think she was in control of the situation and late that night when she thought I was sleeping an was about to inject me with something, I opened my eyes and used my sharingan on her."

Sakura didn't notice she had stopped her ministrations to devote her full attention to the story. Her face was flushed from the implications.

'_I bet 19 year old, ANBU Kakashi was delicious.'_

After beating her inner self to a bloody pulp, the cotton-candy haired medic then swallowed her thoughts and turned her attention back to Kakashi's firm, sculpted torso. _Fuck me. _"So what happened next?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I completed my mission, and Kuriko was punished in a big way. So was I."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, before that I was a faceless entity. After that, I'd made the Bingo Books, which was poor taste for ANBU."

"Ah." Sakura nodded, pooling chakra into her fingertips and pulsing tiny bursts into her patient's skin. She could feel Kakashi's eyes watching her as she urged his body to create a thin layer of new skin over the wounds. "It seems like you two know each other past that."

Kakashi chuckled, embarrassed. "Well, let's just say we've had a few run-ins of similar circumstance, more or less."

It took a few seconds for Sakura to comprehend his words and Kakashi watched as realization dawned on her pretty, pixie-like features. "You are such a pervert!" She yelled, smacking his arm and causing Bisuke to jump awake and out of her lap.

Kakashi chuckled, his eyes twinkling with honest amusement. "Hey, you asked."

"Hardly. Whatever, I'm going to go shower." She stood abruptly and quickly put away the medical supplies and handed him a tiny container of silvery salve and some gauze. "Rub that on your wounds and dress them yourself. If you don't, you'll be peeling skin along with bandages."

"So cruel, Sakura-chan." He sighed dramatically and Sakura couldn't help but giggle at his antics. The rosette maneuvered around the sleeping pooches and disappeared into the shared bathroom.

"You really should be nicer to Sakura-san." Bisuke piped up and dropped the gauze into Kakashi's lap, bits of drool from his mouth sliding off the bandages.

Pakkun and Bull rose from their places of rest and jumped on the bed, causing Kakashi and Bisuke to bounce slightly. "He's got a point, Boss. Bull, get behind Kakashi and push him forward." Doing as Pakkun said, the huge bulldog lifted his captain into a complete upright position.

"I'm always nice to Sakura." Kakashi said dismissively, but every dog in the room heard the defensive underlying tones and gave the silver-haired man a collective eye roll. Sighing, Kakashi just went about spreading the cool, minty salve across his torso and chest then allowed Bisuke to run around him in circles, expertly fastening the bandages around him.

"Didn't you need to talk to Sakura about something Boss?" Pakkun spoke after ripping the last of the bandages with his teeth.

"Oh yes I do. Thanks guys." Quickly Kakashi dismissed his furry team and scrambled to his feet to pull on a wife-beater and a long black shirt with an attached mask. He winced a few times but made his way to the bathroom door. She was going to be angry. Really angry. But if the other two were to come back to the hotel, the only way they wouldn't be heard was if they were in the privacy of the bathroom.

He listened as Sakura sang quietly with the music playing from a tiny radio and he smirked when her soprano voice missed the key a few times. Shaking his head, Kakashi twisted the knob and sang a quiet praise that it was unlocked.

Steam washed over him and Kakashi felt his face grow hot when he realized exactly what it was he was doing. Her clothes had been discarded to the floor carelessly and on the large marble counter sat a set of clean pajamas, silk shorts and a shirt. He couldn't help but let his fingers trace the seams of her tiny shorts, unable to stop himself from picturing her waltzing about in them with the large t-shirt pulled over her tiny body, the excess cloth tied into a small knot at the base of her back.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"

Kakashi's head jerked upwards painfully to see Sakura staring at his hand. Slowly he withdrew the appendage and gave her a sheepish grin. "Well you see-"

"Oh I see alright! You are such a fucking lecher! Are you spying on me? Do you steal underwear too?!"

His eyes widened at her accusation and he coughed to keep the ideas sprouting in his head from spilling out of his mouth. "Sakura, no. Now listen."

"Get OUT!" He wasn't sure when the last time he had seen Sakura so angry.. But if he had to guess it was the time Naruto had been caught sneaking a peek of his pink-haired teammate in the hot spring and Sakura tore the building to the ground out of sheer horror causing Naruto, Shikamaru, Tenzo, Sakura, and himself to spend an extra three days rebuilding the tiny establishment.

"I need to talk to you. This is the only chance I have to do it in privacy. So stop being melodramatic. If I wanted to see you naked, I would just ask."

Sakura frowned as she thought about what he'd said. "I- Uh- Okay, one second-"

"Leave the water on." Kakashi commanded, leaving no room for argument. He grabbed the radio from the counter and turned the volume up slightly. He noticed she was staring at him expectantly and he stared back at her, waiting.

"Hand me a fucking towel you idiot! And turn around!"

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" He asked, chuckling as he turned his back.

Sakura toweled herself off and tied her wet hair into a knot above her head before slipping into the pajama's Kakashi's hand had been so _lovingly _ appreciating not moments before. It was difficult to ignore the warmth the pulsed between her thighs at the thought. Taking a deep breath, Sakura forced her body to relax and ignored the excited ravings that were her thoughts.

"Okay, what is it?" She asked, her cheeks flushed from a mixture of embarrassment and discomfort brought on by the humidity soaking the bathroom.

Kakashi turned back and couldn't stop his eyes from making a quick check of her attire. She wore her shirt just like he thought she would. "Today, I was supposed to intercept one courier-nin, but instead there were three, and they knew I was coming."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What does that mean? You don't think you were set up do you?"

"Two of them were just kids. I sent them to the nearest ANBU camp for treatment and a proper interrogation. I think we can use them to get more information, but I must have been set up."

"By Kuriko-san?" Sakura's eyes narrowed in disbelief and Kakashi was taken aback slightly. He was positive Sakura had been suspicious of the blonde since they had met. "Maybe she was given false information."

"When I said she was good at her job, Sakura," Kakashi paused to wipe the sweat soaking his bangs and decided to do away with the over shirt and peeled it off, letting the black fabric drop to the ground. He smirked when he heard Sakura's sharp intake of breath but maintained composure and leaned against the counter. "I meant it. Unless they somehow already know exactly who she is, there's not a good chance she'd be unable to get the correct details."

"Then why would she lead you into a trap?"

"That is what I want to find out. Kuriko's been glued to your side since we got here. Why did she let you go alone?"

"What? Why do you sound so suspicious of me?" She demanded, taking a step forward to glare at him, getting so close that Kakashi could see the drops of condensation clinging to her magenta eyelashes.

"Sakura." He said gently. "I'm not suspicious of you. I know you've been dying to tell me something for three days, so what is it?"

Rage faded and was replaced swiftly by pure confusion. "What are you on about now?"

"You've staring at me nonstop and unless you were checking me out I- wait." He raised his hands and cupped her face, bringing her eyes close to his own. "You don't remember."

"Remember what?" She was breathless, and the dreamy tone of her voice caused Kakashi's pulse to quicken slightly.

"Try really hard to think about the last few days. I want you to picture the day we made it to Ishinako Port. You're a shinobi, and your more than intelligent. Play the entire trip from the port until this moment right now. See if there are any gaps in your memory."

His voice was calm and low and for a moment Sakura thought she was being hypnotized. Her body swooned slightly and she leaned more on her former teacher, letting her eyes flutter shut as she replayed the images of the past few days in her mind. Deep down, she knew he was right. She _had _ been wanting to talk to him, but she truly couldn't remember what about. The kiss? She blushed, embarrassed at the thought, and forced her mind to move on. The ferry ride was exactly that, a disjointed stream of wakefulness and deep sleep, she had been so sick the whole time.

"I can't remember, Kakashi! Nothing is happening!" She whined, trying to pull away from his grasp, but his left hand dropped to grasp her arm, his right one stayed in place to wipe the tears of frustration threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I could really use my sharingan now." He said wistfully.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei." Her head dropped and the scent of fresh tears with the steamy air. "This is all my fault."

A resounding slap silenced the would-be self-loathing and Sakura looked up at her partner, her hand clutching her stinging cheek. "You hit me!" She accused loudly.

He shrugged. "You seemed like you needed it."

Her mouth opened to argue but instead she just smiled and wiped her eyes. "Does Kuriko have a jutsu to erase memories? Is that what you're worried about?"

"Not exactly. She is good in her field because she can be very persuasive. Kuriko can speak a target into submission and has the ability to create a blockade around a certain memory, but only ones she is present in."

"You think she's done it to me.." She trailed off and Kakashi could see the tell-tale signs of insecurity sprouting up.

"We can't be sure. You've not had the proper training to combat or counter this."

"Maybe I could have if _someone _hadn't refused to train me for the-"

"You're so cute when you're trying to be tough, Sakura-chan."

His comment stunned her, but what stunned her even more was the look in his eyes. Though one eye remained unseeing, his honesty still shone from the pair, honesty and something more, something warmer. He smiled down to her and Sakura realized this was the first time she had seen a smile like that on his bare face.

"W-what should I do if she tries something like that again?" She stumbled over her words when a calloused thumb grazed over her cheek, making a line in the sweat that had gathered on the top layer of her flushed skin.

"When you are around her, try not to look at her, but if you must, force another person into her place. Pretend you are talking to Ino, that you are listening to Ino speak. Your mind will create a code around Kuriko that only you can figure out. If she can't locate herself within the memory, then she can't block it. She is her own anchor, so try to disguise her as someone she doesn't know."

"I can't tell if that is brilliant or absurd." Sakura whispered, understanding that although the idea was simple, the execution was likely anything but. "How does she.. What did you say? Speak people into submission?"

Kakashi chuckled at the marveled, but calculating look she was shooting him. Sakura was drinking in everything he said with a slow, methodical precision, and Kakashi knew she wouldn't quit until the technique was mastered.

"It works like a genjutsu, more or less, but deals with your sense of sound perception. It isn't likely she can use it against you in any way other than to conjure up memories."

"What? Shouldn't I be prepared?"

"It's a seduction jutsu, Sakura. Unless you suddenly fancy going to bed with women, it won't work for you." Her face burned a bright shade of red and Kakashi's smile widened into an impish grin. "Am I wrong?"

"Get to the fucking point, pervert." She growled beneath clenched teeth.

"She uses the sound of her voice to make you recall a memory of her. Past that, I'm not sure what she does. That was as far as my sharingan could get."

Her embarrassment forgotten, Sakura bit her lip and nodded slowly. "I think I get it. And I get why they're called the Dream Team."

"Just be happy Kuriko's sister isn't here. Split apart, they are all pretty deadly ninja, but in a three-man cell, they are nearly unbeatable."

A flash of recognition sparkled in Sakura's eyes before it quickly faded and she sighed in frustration. "I thought I remembered something, but I guess not yet. I'll keep trying. Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

"No problem. Now that I believe we've both lost at least five pounds of water in this sauna, I think I'll let you finish your shower before I pass out from dehydration." He turned to leave but Sakura's hand grasped his wrist and pulled him back. "Unless you want me to stay..." He continued tentatively, half-joking.

The look on her face said that she didn't even hear his comment. "What am I to you Kakashi?"

He lifted is eyebrows in surprise, his name sounding foreign when uttered with such a determined, but timid voice. Sakura hadn't sounded like that in years. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you kiss me?" She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but she was equally powerless to stop them. Being this close to him was affecting her and she could no longer ignore it.

It was clear he was struggling with what to say next. Kakashi always had the uncanny ability to say the right thing at the right time, and was the king of one-liners, but at that moment, without a mask to hide his expression, he just appeared torn. And Sakura knew what tore him. For once, the pinkette knew exactly what the famously mysterious shinobi was thinking.. Would he be open and upfront, or would he play it cool with a joke ?

He grinned coolly and Sakura sighed, already knowing what to expect as he ran a hand through his hair and laughed lightly. "Let's just say I've got a serious case of Hero Worship." He said.

Ignoring her frown, Kakashi opened the door and exited the sweatbox with a heavy sigh.

"What in the hell were you doing in the shower with her?" He immediately ran into Kuriko, who had apparently been waiting for one of them to come out.

"There was a spot on her back she just couldn't seem to reach. Good thing I was here to help her." He said with a wink and brushed passed her to walk out into the hallway to find a much-needed drink.

...


	16. Chapter 16

**AN Woo! Fast update! The weather has been miserable, so outdoor activities have been minimized. And by outdoor activities I means leaving the house at all haha. Anyways, this is the last chapter before she gets real, so the next update may take awhile. Thanks for all of your support! ****我愛你們****! Please R&R! xoxo**

Haruno Sakura was frustrated. She was frustrated with the mission. She was frustrated with her former sensei. She was frustrated with her new teammates. She was _unequivocally_ frustrated with herself.

It had been two days since her talk with Kakashi. And so far he was acting like nothing had happened. Ever. He had dropped the disguise and started wearing the mask again in every sense. It was driving Sakura insane.

The moment she watched his face disappear behind that insufferable black fabric, the bubblegum-haired kunoichi knew all the new facets of Kakashi's personality that Sakura had learned to admire would disappear as well. It wasn't just the mask, though. There was something shining in his eyes that she couldn't understand. The indescribable emotion would flicker across his eyes like a candle, so bright and clear, then instantly it would coruscate until it was gone altogether.

Kakashi had seamlessly slipped into the role that he had assumed for the better part of her career. He was all business. Cool, calculating, and untouchable.

"Sakura are you listening?"

"Eh?" Her eyes shot up to see three people staring at her, each with their own particular look of annoyance.

Kuriko's was the most obvious. She had that snide look about her that was reminiscent of a younger Ino long forgotten. It was a self entitled kind of look you got from the upperclass for entering a gala wearing a cocktail dress when the invitation clearly said formal.

Ringo's expression reminded her so much of Sasuke that it nearly caused her heart to stop. Complete apathy laced with a touch of aggravation, and a tiny smirk of amusement dancing on the corner of his lip.

"I asked if you were listening." Kakashi repeated himself, she could see the black fabric shifting where his lips were surely moving beneath, but his voice sounded disconnected and faraway.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to flick a senbon into him just to elicit some type of distinguishable feedback, but she begrudgingly refrained. If Kakashi was distant before, he was absolutely reticent now.

'_Maybe if you wouldn't be so hot and cold all the time, I wouldn't have to fester like this during a discussion.'_

"Yes." She replied curtly, some functioning part of her brain recalling information she hadn't been aware she'd caught. "You said that Mao's scheduled arrival is in a week. And that it would be wise to notify Konoha of the trade routes between Wind, Fire, and Tea and to see if it is possible to dispatch a Black-Ops team to do some reconnaissance and possibly intercept any would-be illegal dealings."

"Right." He said, his voice void of anything that might betray what he was thinking. "From the information in these scrolls and what Ringo has gathered, it is pretty clear that Mao is, for lack of a better term, a gangster."

"Which doesn't put us in a good position." Kuriko heaved a bored sigh. "He's got high brow clans paying rent to stay alive and he's paying off the Daimyos to allow illegal trade across their borders and keep it quiet."

The visible portion of the copy-nin's face wrinkled slightly with impatience as he nodded in agreement. "He's got too much power."

"I think having Black-ops investigate is a waste of time." Sakura butted in, gaining their attention to test the waters of their Sand-nin comrades. "If he's paying them off, then the Daimyos won't press charges. And the more information we get, the more of a liability we become, which isn't so much useful as it is reckless. We're not learning anything new, just more of the same stuff, more reminders that this can't be done with just us. So why stay here?"

Kuriko rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious. "Because every empire has a weakness. We merely need to uncover them. It isn't like he's an elected official, he forced this upon hundreds of people, oppressed people."

Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a brief glance. They hadn't informed the pair of the two young shinobi under Mao's thumb who had been relinquished to Konaha for the time being, at least until they became useful. As far as they knew, Kakashi had simply killed three courier-nin instead of one.

"I agree with Sakura-san." RIngo said suddenly, his voice calm and quiet, as he only lent it when he had an opinion of substance. "Mao isn't a rookie. He made his fortune stealing and selling scrolls, weapons, etc. But since the war ended, there isn't much need for that." Pulling out another scroll, Ringo unrolled the parchment to reveal a list of names. "These are people either presumed dead, rogue, or kidnapped."

Sakura watched as Kakashi's eyes rapidly scanned over the names, giving a brief nod every few moments. "Most of these are all kekkai genkai users."

Some names the rosette knew, but they had all been crossed out, meaning they were no longer missing or had died. But there was something that didn't sit well with the medic. There was a blank spot between two names Sakura had never seen before, which at first glance wasn't bothersome, but when she traced her gaze over the list again, the gap appeared more incongruous, like someone had removed a name from the list.

"Where did you get this?" Sakura's emerald orbs cut to the left to stare at Ringo.

"The Kazekage. Of the information we were given to present with you two, this one came with a red-sand binding." Kuriko answered quickly for him. "That means it is a last resort resource."

She nodded in response and watched as Kakashi's eyes found the unusual blank spot on the paper, then flick quickly to his left to fix upon the motion of Kuriko's thumb as she absently spun a ring around on her finger.

A tangible tension settled uncomfortably in the small space of the hotel room's kitchenette and Sakura wondered if the others were having an equally difficult time getting oxygen into their lungs.

Finally, Kakashi broke the silence, earning a collective sigh of relief. Whatever it was he was planning, and Sakura had a good feeling she knew what it was, would be implemented at a more appropriate time. "Mao is harvesting bloodline limits and selling them."

"It's not unheard of." Kuriko said, now picking at her fingernails as a sheer sign of boredom. "So what is your point?"

Sakura saw Kakashi's right had twitch into a tight fist before relaxing to lightly tap the tabletop. "Assuming that is the case, then these trade transactions must be in code, because there have been few reports of thefts. Even if many of the Daimyos have been bought, Hidden Villages still don't take too kindly to losing valuable assets. Money or not."

The pinkette shook her head. "If they are trying to get kekkei genkai, then they would be stealing medical scrolls. Losing valuable medical information could be detrimental. Most forbidden jutsu fall into that category, and if you're hired to retrieve a scroll of that calibre, you wouldn't know it. However, I know for a fact many medical scrolls were stolen from Iwa."

"How?" Kuriko asked with a slight curl of disdain in her lip.

"Because I was doing research there. A few of us were recruited to guard the borders since we were being granted an extended stay." Sakura huffed, trying desperately to keep her cool.

Kuriko was about to open her mouth to deliver her opinion about that, but thankfully Kakashi merely lifted a finger to command their silent attention. For a moment Sakura was struck again with the image of Kakashi as the Hokage and had to suppress the chill that tingled down her spine.

His voice was equable and low, the alluring tenors settling into a bored tone. "Iwa isn't know for their medical prowess, not like Suna and Konoha. The most reasonable approach would be kidnapping medic-nin."

All eyes turned back to Sakura and she felt the blood drain from her face. "And.." Sakura stopped for a minute to clear her throat and compose herself. "What does that mean?"

"It means, Sakura-chan," her viridian gaze lifted to meet the murky grays of her former teacher's, "that you need to be extra careful until we have a proper plan of action."

There was a smile beneath his mask, she knew, but it was the kind he gave only in sticky situations. Naruto and herself had grown to know the look well and seeing Kakashi employ it then, be it deliberate or not, caused a nauseating knot to form within Sakura's stomach.

The smile still lingering, Kakashi pulled his arms above his head to stretch languidly before stifling a yawn. "How about we call it a day and pick this up in the morning?"

There was a mutual nod in agreement and Sakura stood and stretched to relieve the building tension when she felt eyes fixed upon her. Kuriko was headed towards the bathroom and Ringo just laid his head on the table in an act of pure exhaustion, so it could only be one person. When she met Kakashi's gaze, Sakura understood that he wanted her to follow him.

Quietly the duo made their way to the door and slipped their shoes on before stepping into the hallway. Although they were miles away from the Grand Hotel, Sakura still activated her henge while Kakashi strode on with a composed sense of indifference.

The trek to the inn's small lounge was short and uncomfortable, shrouded in a thick air of silent tension and when they finally reached their destination, Sakura let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding and took the seat across from Kakashi.

A server quickly set down two bottles of hot sake and Sakura stared at the man quizzically. "We didn't order-"

"Arigato-gozaimashita." Kakashi cut her off and the server merely gave them an embarrassed bow before disappearing.

They went about pouring the other a drink and sat quietly, sipping the searing liquid with a strained kind of tranquility until Sakura's curiosity had reached its boiling point. "Kakashi-sensei, what is going on?"

Kakashi slowly sat down the cup and pressed his sleeve against the now damp cloth covering his lips. "I want you to go home."

"What?" She cried quietly with wide, bemused eyes setting her face into the perfect example of confusion.

"I don't trust Kuriko or Ringo. I don't think it is safe for you to be on this mission. I can send Pakkun to go fetch Team Gai to escort you home."

"What?" She repeated stupidly. "Go home? Escort?"

He nodded and poured himself another drink, deciding she was too distraught to do so for him.

The air of nonchalance around him was noxious, and as Sakura struggled for words, she knew that there was little she could do to change his mind. Manipulation rarely worked on Kakashi.

"I'm not an invalid, Kakashi. I got us into this mess. This is _my _mission. I want to make this right." Her eyes were pleading and Kakashi felt his defense lurch beneath the guilt she was displaying.

"I never said you were. Those two are after something and I don't want your comment about liabilities to come to fruition. Besides, this isn't your kind of mission. Your place in this mission is a few leaps ahead, when we've uncovered everything and need your skills to undo the harm that has undoubtedly been done to many kekkei genkai users."

"Is that all I'm good for? Damage control?" Her voice, though still soft and controlled, held a sharp edge and sliced through the copy-nin's logic with razor precision.

Kakashi sighed, hoping that in the future he could dust off his own skills of damage control because the only way to get Sakura to do what he needed was to hurt her. His heart seize, sending a shock of anxiety and guilt pulsing through him, hitting every nerve until the tips of his fingers prickled uncomfortably.

At least he was a good liar. The trick was to insert the proper amount of truth within the lie, that way the guilt was not nearly as crippling, and now it gave him an opportunity to also be a little honest along with his falsehood.

"Yes, Sakura." He nodded with a heavy sigh and looked at his now full cup before downing it's contents quickly, doing anything to avoid Sakura's glacial stare. "I'm afraid I've let my attraction towards you cloud my judgment. You're becoming more than one type of liability and I can't have either one of us compromising this mission."

Sakura just stared at him, her mouth agape. Multiple emotions were battling within her to form an adequate response, but none came. Long, unending seconds ticked by before Sakura spoke again, and for once Kakashi had no idea what she was thinking, and he had a feeling she didn't either. Her bright expression turned blank and cold.

"You think I'm a useless distraction." Her hands had balled into fists but her mien remained calm and unbidden. "You want me to leave because you can't remain professional enough to _not _be distracted by me."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose a fraction in well concealed surprise. It would appear he had underestimated her, again. She let out a low, humorless laugh and rolled her eyes.

"What attraction? What does that even mean? You mean that pathetic kiss? Or maybe you're talking about that impressive display at the pub. Oh wait, you don't remember that. When did this 'attraction' start, hum? Was it when you cast the genjutsu on me?"

Her eyes darkened and Kakashi felt as though he were going to be sick, he still didn't know anything about the pub, and the stab at the genjutsu had a whole new type of shame eating at him. Oh how the tables have turned.

"No, I bet it was when you realized how strong and capable I was without needing your help. How old was I then? Sixteen? I bet that brought you down a few pegs, being attracted to someone half your age."

"Sakura." He said cooly while she paused for breath, but she was already completely overcome with emotion to here the desperate tone in his voice.

"I'm calling your bluff. I don't know why you don't want me here, but it sure as _hell _ isn't because you're _attracted_ to me. You have a point about this not being my type of mission, but I didn't become jounin to have an equal tell me I'm unfit for a mission that was _given to me._ So what is it, Kakashi-_sensei_?" She spat the honorific like it left a bad taste in her mouth and the starry-haired shinobi merely stared at her, frowning.

When had she become such a vicious harpy? He almost laughed that he, of all people, was on the receiving end of such an assault. However, Kakashi knew why he was on the defensive; because she cared about him. Sure, Sakura was quick to put anyone in their place, but the honesty behind her words encompassed all of her frustrations with him. He hadn't realized how much of an effect he had had on her, and frankly it left him feeling rather embarrassed for being so dense.

Her arms were now crossed over her chest and her eyebrows knitted together, matching the astonished smile she wore, a smile that paled her soft features and brought to light just how hurt she was. "You're such an impenitent asshole." She sighed and walked away, leaving him to stare at her shrinking form.

He could just imagine his rivals opinions about all of this. "Go after her, my esteemed rival! While you still have the heart to do so. It is never to late to seize the incandescent blossom of your waning youth that is Haruno Sakura! She is the key to everlasting springtime."

'_That is exactly what he would say. And he's probably right.' _"Kuso."

Standing quickly, Kakashi swiftly cut through the growing crowd and tried desperately not to lose track of the scent of Sakura's shampoo in the sea of smells testing him. The trail lead him through the kitchen, out the service entrance of the inn, and into a thriving night market. She was good. It would be impossible to find her by scent now.

Focusing all of his attention on the surrounding crowd, Kakashi weaved around the carts and smiling faces, weeding out the weaker chakra signatures until he felt a tug to his left. It was warm and strong and Kakashi smiled in relief. Jumping to the nearest roof, the jounin exited the cacophony of competing sights and sounds and into the cold, humid air. He was growing closer, which meant Sakura wasn't really trying to lose him so much as test his willingness to find her. Finally he came to halt and noticed he was standing on the slope of a rolling greens, the moon's unbridled light causing the waist high leaves to glow.

There she was, her back turned to him, drenched in an ethereal luminance from the shining moon. Her now pink hair shone a muted shade of silver and she turned to give him an angry, but wielding smile.

"Sakura.." His feet carried him forward, cleverly avoiding the tangles of tea leaves sprouting around his feet. He stopped a foot in front of her and waited. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He hadn't thought that far ahead, which was horribly out of character.

"You know," she said suddenly and faced away to glance up at the moon, "When I was younger, I always thought full moons to be romantic."

"And now?" Kakashi asked, taking a step forward so that his words brushed against her tousled hair.

"Now I just think of it as a tool. Powerful and omniscient, seemingly unfazed by the changing of times, but also powerless against the right adversary. It's a constant reminder that anything can be taken advantage of."

Kakashi could smell the faint scent of tears on the wind. The salty aroma mingling with the herbal fragrance of tea leaves was bittersweet but relaxing. He knew what had tainted her childlike notions of the moon. War scarred everyone in different ways, and Sakura was fortunate to have had so much left when it was over.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I'm acting like a weak little girl." She sniffed a few times before facing him.

"You're not weak, Sakura-chan." His voice was quiet and had Sakura not been listening, his words would have been lost on the wind. He reached up to tuck a strand of bubble-gum pink hair behind her ear. His chest was swelling with something he knew went deeper than attraction, and at this point avoiding it would be a foolish mistake. "Vulnerable maybe."

She gave him a watery smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Vulnerability is weakness, Kakashi."

"No." He shook his head and pulled down his mask, oxygen suddenly losing its way to him. "Not on you. Your vulnerability is one of the things that makes you so beautiful, Sakura."

Emerald eyes grew large and Kakashi watched, entranced, as a radiant blush sparked at her cheeks and spread to her ears. A smile was fighting its way onto her lips, but Sakura managed to stay sober. The answer she wanted was so close she could taste it. "Why do you really want me to leave Kakashi?"

He sighed and smiled the same tired smile she realized she loved. His half-lidded eyes twinkled as he spoke. "Because I care about you, Sakura."

It was a simple response that held the weight of a hundred unspoken feelings. It was so terribly _Kakashi._ Short, honest, and to the point.

He leaned lower and Sakura instinctively closed her eyes when she felt his warm breath fan across her face. His lips touched hers and Sakura could feel a smile against her mouth as he tangled his hand in her hair and tilted her head.

Teeth nipped at her upper lip and Sakura's mouth opened slightly, allowing Kakashi's tongue to dip inside. A deep moan erupted from him and Sakura gasped when his hand grasped her waist and forced their bodies together.

Sakura snaked her arms around his neck, pulling herself to the tips of her toes so that the contours of their bodies fit together seamlessly. Her head was swimming, dizzy and giddy and entirely overwhelmed.

Kakashi held her tighter and deepened the kiss, reveling in the way her tongue tentatively grazed across the scar cutting into his lip. If the tiny sighs that escaped her between them were urging him forward, then the bittersweet scent of her evident arousal was causing the copy-nin to tremble with restraint.

It been a long time sense he had felt so incredibly intoxicated over someone, and it was going to take the grace of god for him to forget the feeling again. Although pleased his efforts were met with fervor this time, Kakashi knew he needed to put a stop to it before he was no longer in control of his faculties.

Pulling away, Kakashi chuckled at Sakura's sigh of protest, the way she grasped onto his shirt to steady herself only made his grin grow wider. "Sakura."

"We need to head back." She finished breathlessly. "I know."

"I'm still sending you home." He reminded her with a pointed look.

A musical laugh erupted from her and she rolled her eyes. "Pfft yeah, okay."

He shook his head and brushed past her, pulling his mask up in the process. "We'll see."

...


	17. Chapter 17

**AN So this was written after a serious binge on porn and **_**Random Access Memories**_**, so shit gets a little, well you'll see. I had wanted something like this to happen and intended for it to happen a little differently, but when you see a plot device.. I hope you enjoy another quick update. I originally was going to write more, but when I finished this it seemed to stand alone just fine. That and I love this and want to post it haha. NOW maybe the plot bunnies can stop torturing me and I can get to work on me school shit. Please R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Seventeen

Kakashi laid down slowly and groaned as his muscles screamed in protest. It had been a long time since he'd had his ass handed to him like that, and if he had to be honest, he was surprised to win the spar.

It wasn't often the starry-haired shinobi was given such an ultimatum, and failure was hardly optional.

He was also pretty sure he had used more chakra trying to conceal how much pain he was in than he did whilst sparring. But he had a reputation to uphold and he would rather spend the night in unbearable pain than let Sakura know how horribly he'd taken the beating.

The jounin should have known by that terribly mischievous grin on his former-student's face that he was in for it.

"_How about this, Kakashi." She looked up at him with a pretty blush on her cheeks, but the devilish grin on her lips clashed with the young innocence shining in her sparkling jade eyes. "If I win, then I get to go to the meeting with Kenshin.. And if you win, I'll go on whatever mission it is you have in mind for me. Deal?"_

"_Hmm.. that doesn't seem terribly fair. I don't really get anything out of this." He sighed with boredom, already not liking the sound of this. She seemed far too confident._

"_If I win I won't tell anyone about it, that's something!" Her grin grew wider and he could hear the tremor of restrained laughter behind her voice. "And you have to buy me dinner!"_

_He shook his head and tapped his lip in thought. "Upping the stakes huh? Well if we're playing _that _game.." _

_His voice dropped a few notes lower and he took a few steps closer to the roseate-haired kunoichi, the predatory glint in his eyes causing her smile to falter. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he strode forward with languid movements and finally he reached her and bent down so that their cheeks touched._

"_If I win, you have to do whatever I say for one day."_

_Kakashi watched with a hidden grin as goosebumps appeared on her shoulders and danced all the way to her wrists. _

_She shook away the sudden stiffness in her limbs and cleared her throat. "That's stupid. I'm not agreeing to that." _

"_Why not, Sakura-chan? I didn't picture you as a coward."_

And that had been the catalyst.

Gods, he was an idiot. Winning didn't get him much considering he was too old and tired to reap the benefits. He had a sneaking suspicion Sakura knew exactly how much pain she'd inflicted and was merely pretending to believe his nonchalant ruse.

A laugh escaped his lips as the image of Sakura's fighting style swept behind his closed eyes. Sure, he'd been training with her, Gai, and Lee for a couple of weeks prior to the mission, but most of her time was spent one-on-one with the flamboyant disciple or checking her favorite former teacher's chakra pathways for damage and helping him learn how to control it better. Now _that _ had been humbling.

During their skirmish earlier that evening, there were touches of the green-clad duo in Sakura's execution that he certainly had not seen before. Seemingly innocuous flips and spins peppered her dance-like movements.

Yet, as the fight wore on Kakashi began to realize that her dramatic movements, though flashy, served a purpose: to distract and overwhelm. And it worked. The copy-nin spent more time trying to map out Sakura's likely attacks than he did watching his own back. He was pleasantly surprised that she had managed to surprise him so completely. Her attacks were erratic and unpredictable, and on a few occasions her body would bend in ways that would seem inhuman had he not seen Maito Gai in action.

It wasn't just that however.. He could also see glimpse's of the famed genius from the Hyuga clan as well. Though it was hard to land a hit onto Kakashi, when Sakura had managed she wouldn't stop at one, instead she would strike at least five times in rapid succession.

Then there were the few times when her wrists would slacken and her fingers would bind together, the tips glowing lightly. That was when he knew to dodge, because Haruno Sakura had without a doubt managed to pick up the basics of Neji's Gentle Fist and form it into something all her own. Kakashi only needed to be struck once to learn his lesson. Never had a bare-handed hit caused so much pain in his life.

He now completely understood how Sakura had made jounin, although he knew all along that she would. He was insurmountably proud of how far she'd come in such a short time, but the pride was tinged with regret.

On top of her already inherently exceptional intelligence, there were layers of influence from her mentors and friends, and each layer was visible in everything she did. Tsunade's strenth, Naruto's brashness, Lee's agility, Neji's precision, Gai's flare for the dramatics. Even _Gai _had been a better teacher for her.

Among those layers, Kakashi hadn't found himself, and because of that he felt great regret. Regret because his presence in her childhood had hindered, at best, her development as a shinobi, but also because he had let his misgivings about the pastel-haired kunoichi's potential sway his decision to not train her for jounin.

Of course he had heard the grand stories of Sakura's strength in battle during the war, and honestly he had no reason to doubt them, but there was some instinctual need to protect Sakura that had always been holding him back.

She had done so much for him in so many ways, he could only hope that he might have the opportunity to repay her by giving her a piece of him. As if she'd need it.

Shifting slightly, the older jounin let out an audible string of curses that would have made Sakura proud, and he found himself lamenting his fleeting youth one more time.

Kakashi took a deep breath and instantly regretted his need for air as the tightness in his chest was without a doubt a painful repercussion of being a cocky ass. Bruised ribs took weeks to heal.

At least he got what he wanted for the most part. Sakura would be headed out soon to the ANBU outpost, retrieve the two rogue-nin, go to Suna and to report the current status of the mission and seek counsel on what the Leaf-nin should do next, because Kakashi was absolute in his suspicions about their Sand counterparts and wouldn't send Sakura away on this side mission if he weren't. Of course, unbeknownst to her, Kakashi had every intention of sending half his dogs to trail her.

Glancing at the clock, Kakashi sighed when the glaring red numerals read 22:43. Though he was thankful the rosette and himself had had the afternoon alone, their companions should have been back by then.

The unsettling feeling of disquiet crept over Kakashi for the umpteenth time since he had made it to Tea and he had to force his mind to stop its constant over-analyzations for just long enough so he could rest for a bit before having to be in high alert at all times.

When he had said he didn't trust the Dream Team, he meant it wholeheartedly.

However, the camaraderie brought on by allied war efforts was growing weak as of late, and doing anything to his new companions, including abandoning them, would be considered a greatly disrespectful offense.

So the best he could do was send Sakura off to prove their motives were impure and gain permission from the Kazekage to handle the situation as he deemed fit.

All the while Kakashi would keep playing it cool, but he knew better than to assume his charade would be believable. Kuriko wasn't easily fooled and there was no possible way she didn't suspect him. It merely needed to appear that he was being believable and hope he could buy Sakura and himself enough time to make a move.

Kakashi blindly reached for the bedside table, hoping there was a discarded canteen near him and sighed with relief when his fingers came in contact with the canvas covering and used the last of his human strength to lift himself up to drink as much water as he could before collapsing back onto the bed.

The darkness around him began to tickle at his periphery before winding over his gaze, casting a blanket of midnight across his vision. For the first time in years, Kakashi was too exhausted from chakra and muscle strain to be kept awake by stress any longer. Tranquility curled around his hands and feet and weaved into his muscles, unwinding the tense thews until the silver-haired man was certain he would evanesce altogether.

It suddenly struck Kakashi as odd that he would be so entirely at peace, but his mind wasn't given much time to process his abrupt cognizance of imbalance as the sound of his door opening had grasped his attention.

The shifting black of his eyelids was replaced momentarily with a smoky burnt umber before quickly fading back to midnight. The pleasant, floral scent of his former pupil's shampoo reached him and Kakashi's eyes shot open in surprise to see Sakura standing at the foot of his bed.

The force it took to keep his eyes open frightened the copy-nin for a moment. He was so tired, so inexplicably tired. "Sakura, what are you doing in here?" He finally said, his voice seeming foreign to his own ears.

Finally, he propped himself onto his elbows and was able to give her a level stare, doing his best to use what chakra he had left by enhancing the sight in his only seeing eye, but the act only exhausted him further.

"Is that how you greet the medic-nin coming to check on you?" The dulcet sound of her voice held a hard undertone and he chuckled despite himself, immediately forgetting his previous apprehension.

"No, I suppose not. Come to fix me?" He found his voice more easily and exhaled some of the stress he'd felt building up in his throat.

She strode to the side of his bed and he watched as her fingers brushed against his collarbone before leisurely tracing the scars that slashed across his skin, occasionally grazing over a fresh one. "Can't fix what isn't broken, Kakashi-sensei."

His heart began to beat quickly beneath her touch and Kakashi could feel his blood rushing below his skin. Sakura hadn't called him sensei in two days, and the sound of it was as alluring as it was peculiar. She had so effortlessly dropped the honorific he had to wonder why she would suddenly employ it now. And why she was touching him this way. That was a better question, but not one he was in the right mind to ask.

"Shouldn't you be gone by now?" He asked slowly, his gaze turning to see the time was well after midnight, causing Kakashi to wonder how long he had been lying there.

Her touch dipped lower, meeting the margins of his pants and pressed lightly against the muscles of his lower abdomen, provoking a quiet groan from the copy-nin. Her emerald regard caught his eyes in a trance and Kakashi wished the waxing moon would provide more light so he could see her completely.

"Do you want me to leave, Sensei?" She whispered as she pulled herself closer to him, the searing heat of her body a welcome haven from the chill of the room. She gracefully swung a leg over him and before Kakashi could make sense of it, the current object of his salacious dreams was sitting in his lap, pushing his shoulders down against the pillows.

The haze settled again over him, and the more Kakashi tried to rationalize why Sakura was doing this, the more her soft soprano echoed between his ears, whispering to just give in. Soft lips began to brush along the line where the back of his ear met his hair and with a moan, Kakashi's eyes rolled back in contented acceptance.

He ached to feel her supple skin beneath his hands, the hunger only becoming more intense as she began to press her breasts against his chest, the corner of her mouth grazing his jaw, but the more he tried to lift his arms, the more powerless he felt to do so.

"I'm dreaming." He breathed out, a sadness to his voice that he hadn't meant to convey. He felt her chuckle tickle his ear before pushing her hips roughly against his own, and Kakashi's body jerked against her warmth, a loud groan vibrating from his chest.

...

Sakura checked the map coordinates one last time before carefully folding the thing paper into a congruent square and stuffing it inside her pack along side her mission scroll and the scroll from Kakashi to present to the ANBU.

If her estimates were correct it would take her a day to reach the outpost if she traveled over the water on foot rather than take the ferry, but should she run into any trouble, she'd have to use her seal to avoid draining her chakra, which was already rather low.

Kakashi had stressed she needed to arrive back to Tea with the two rogue-nin as quickly as possible. She hummed to herself for minutes, wondering if Tenzou would be at the base. The outpost was where ANBU went to recharge between back to back missions and she'd only been to a few, and for the most part it seemed the only thing they did there was fuck around and waste time, so surely Tenzou could spare his favourite medic some quality time.

Deciding she had everything she needed, Sakura took a seat on the edge of her bed and sighed, a happy smile prancing on her lips. Sparring with Kakashi had been so entertaining. She hadn't had the opportunity to do so in such a way since she was a chuunin.

Sakura took a few minutes to massage her shoulders and legs, releasing some of the muscle strain for her hurried journey. Normally Kakashi wouldn't advise her to leave so soon after such a taxing exchange of blows, but they both agreed it would be smart to take advantage of their time without Ringo and Kuriko and have her leave as soon as she felt rested enough to do so.

"Alright." Sakura sighed, having decided that she had wasted more than enough time preparing to leave. She walked to the door and paused for moment as her fingers touched the cool metal of the knob.

Would it be strange to say goodbye to Kakashi? She bit back a smile at the thought of calling him Kakashi. The sound of it sent a wave of guilty pleasure through her body and she couldn't help but laugh at herself.

Although nothing had really been established, it was evident he was willing to try something with her. Even as they sparred, his hands would needlessly linger on whatever part of her flesh he was halfheartedly trying to strike.

And when he dropped her off at her door, he pressed a warm kiss onto her temple that had left the pastel-haired kunoichi giddy with girlish excitement. Oh, Ino would be having a field day with this, Sakura knew. The blonde would be torn between feeling elated for Sakura's prospects of something resembling a love-life and the desperate need to mock her friend for getting so worked up over something so painfully innocent.

Pulling her feet from the unbuckled boots by the door, Sakura left her bedroom and crept quietly through the dark living area and into the bathroom that separated Ringo and Kakashi's room from their own.

It wouldn't hurt to say goodbye to her favourite jounin, and maybe heal some of the bruised bones she'd given him.

Stepping over a pile of what Sakura assumed to be Kakashi's dirty clothes, she was taking slow steps through the large bathroom, careful not to land her socks in a puddle of bathwater, when she stopped abruptly half a foot shy from the open door after hearing a strangled sound.

Every muscle in Sakura's body had frozen in place as her ears listened closely, searching for a repeat of the noise. She could feel Kakashi's chakra signature, though faint as it was, but the other one was familiar, but somehow unrecognizable.

A sharp hiss ripped through the air and Sakura's eyes widened in understanding. Forcing her chakra into hiding, the kunoichi stepped through the door and into the shadows, hoping that her denial would manifest itself into reality.

Her former sensei was sprawled across the bed in a sensual, silken repose. His eyes were shut tightly while his mouth hung open, letting moans slip quietly between his parted lips.

Face contorted in a kind of inhuman pleasure, the kunoichi watched, mesmerized as a shudder rent into his body. The way the crescent moon reflected off the sheen of sweat forming over his body, Sakura could admit he looked beautiful.

But her trance was broken as her mind processed the reason behind Kakashi's rapture. Eyes traveling down the slope of the jounin's sculpted figure, Sakura wasn't terribly surprised to see a bobbing blanket of ash-blonde hair draped over his thighs, hair that was being gripped tightly by her partner.

Sakura wanted desperately to run as far as her legs could carry her, but found that she couldn't move. The sound of Kakashi's pleasure kept her fixed in place like some sadist and she kept waiting for the picture to disappear, for her to wake up and realize this was all a dream, everything was a dream. Then should could forgive him.

But it wasn't a dream and the only person she would be forgiving anytime soon was herself, for being so stupid as to think Kakashi would want someone so inexperienced as herself when he could undoubtedly have nearly any woman he wanted.

Her eyes fell to the floor for a moment as she tried to gather herself and prepare to walk when she heard something surprising.

"Unnm Sakura.." Her eyes shot up to what she could have sworn was the sound of her name, he was still seemingly unaware of her presence. "Sa- I'm.." His words were halted by a shaky moan as the muscles in his abdomen tightened and his whole body stiffened before a violent tremor shook him and his limbs fell limp onto the bed.

He didn't open his eyes, but a smile Sakura had seen once before formed on his lips and the jealous rage she had been holding back burned through her like liquid fire. It was that sleepy, warm smile he had given her. She watched as the smile grew a fraction and a disbelieving chuckle escaped his lips before the smile fell away and disappeared completely.

Shaken from her stupor, Sakura disappeared into the bathroom, cursing whatever part of her thought it was a good idea to think of Kakashi as a good man. Guilt cut into her anger as she recalled all of the times Kakashi had been nothing but a good man, but she shrugged the offensive ideals away and slipped into her shoes, wanting nothing more than to put as much space between the older jounin and herself.

...


	18. Chapter 18

**AN Wow at Naruto lately. Also, I finished my exams and work and I get to go home next week! I am so excited! I am also so very tired. I've been working on this for awhile, and honestly I'm a little sick of it haha. Just kidding, for the most part. Anyways, I love you guys and your continued support so much. It means a lot to me to know I have such enthusiastic readers. I'm thankful for all of the new favorites and follows, but I want to give a special thanks to my reviewers. Your words me so much and they are coal that makes this train roll haha. R&R xoxo**

Lady Ruby: Chapter Eighteen

Kakashi woke with such a start that he was positive someone had screamed his name. As wakefulness got its hold, an unrelenting pain began to pulse beneath his eyes, blurring his vision until his surroundings were nothing more than a sea of muted greens and browns.

He closed his eyes once more, listening closely for any sound that might jolt his seemingly nonexistent memory, feeling the air for vibrations of noise, but as his ears adjusted, the cold silence was swiftly replaced by the thunderous roar of heavy rainfall, and the air that hung around him was still.

Kakashi dove deep into his mind and gasped when his thoughts washed around him like a raging river of gelid water that held the faint scent of tea. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to grasp the circumstances that led to his current situation. Instead, all he found were disjointed images that he couldn't make sense of, dreamlike pictures that he could see, and almost hear, but the more he reached, the farther away the images became, only allowing him to brush the fleeting remnants as they disappeared from sight.

Memories are multifaceted and difficult to fully understand. All memories are woven through every part of the brain to form an intricate amalgam of senses. The human brain could hold nearly 300 years worth of memories, and Kakashi knew that the more he tried to locate the one he needed, the more his mind blocked it out.

A wave of sickness washed over the copy-nin and he instinctively put his head between his legs and took a few deep breaths until he reached something akin to equilibrium.

Kakashi could count on one hand the number of times he'd woken up with absolutely no idea as to where he was, and it seemed most of those instances had occurred in the past few months.

Finally regaining cognizance, Kakashi lifted his head and opened his eyes, struggling to pull himself to his feet, every joint felt as though a hundred pound weight had been attached to it.

He was in a hotel room, he knew now, and the eerie feeling of being absolutely alone caused a cold chill to ripple through him. The room was empty, but not in the since that he was the only one there, but in the sense that it appeared he was the only one that had _ever_ been there.

The pounding in his head grew louder, drowning out the torrential downpour slamming against the window, and it was then Kakashi decided he'd need some help.

Without waiting another minute, Kakashi sluggishly located his pack and summoned Pakkun. The small dog appeared before him, wearing a distasteful frown before Kakashi even had the time to open his mouth.

"Are you okay, Boss? You look rough. And you reek of that Sand brat."

Kakashi merely gave the pug a bemused expression, trying desperately to focus on one thing at a time, so as to not overwhelm his unusually slow-moving thought process.

"Back-burner, Pakkun. I need you to inspect the room for me. I need to know who has been in here and when." Kakashi attempted to inject some authority in his voice, but the underlying tone of exhausted desperation won over and he only sounded pathetic.

Pakkun gave his master a long, level stare, the wrinkles in is face deepening with another frown. Kakashi was smart, really smart. It wasn't very often he needed the dog for such a trivial task that his Boss could have easily performed on his own.

"Hai." Sticking his nose to the carpet, the summon began circling around the room, disappearing from sight as he headed to the bathroom.

Kakashi turned back to his bag and rummaged through it until he found his net-armor, a shirt, and a pair of pants. Quickly, he began to dress, stopping every few moments to lean against the wardrobe and take a few much needed breaths.

Finally dressed, the silver-haired jounin collapsed onto the bed and began playing out possible scenarios, although he still had little to work with. He should have had a scroll in his pack, but there was nothing but the standards supplies he kept in every ready-made backpack. His eyes scanned over the room, searching for anything when an incongruous shade of auburn-brown caught his eye.

Bending down to pick it up, Kakashi's fingers ran across the canvas covering and he felt his mind spark to life, fighting to recall the memory attached to the object. He lifted it up and realized it was a canteen.

It was heavier than the standard-issue canteens found in Fire, and the outer covering was thick enough to keep water chilled for hours. It was from Wind Country, he knew. Those traveling through the endless deserts would need such a fortified canteen.

Closing his eyes, the copy-nin took a deep breath, inhaling the scents woven into the canteen's fabric and contents, olfaction going into overdrive. Creosote Bush was the first scent that hit him, the sweet leafy smell coaxing him to recall the time he'd run out of water in the middle of the desert and had to resort to chewing on the moisture-dependent bushes to stay alive.

"Focus." He ordered himself quietly. There were other scents that seeped through the open lid, though they were faint and drowned out by the remaining drops of water. Kakashi knew the smells, however, and he tried to remember what Sakura and Shizune had said during the lecture at the Academy on identifying herbs, a seminar the Rokudaime ordered every active shinobi to attend.

Just the mere mention of Sakura through Kakashi's mind in several different directions, images flooding his mind so forcefully that he was certain time around him had slowed down to compensate.

"Pakkun." Kakashi called, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut, as though he feared that opening them would cause the memories to drain from the open sockets and out of his grasp.

In an instant the small dog was standing at Kakashi's feet, and the copy-nin finally braved a glance down him, sighing with relief that he hadn't lost anything.

"That red-headed kid was here."

"His name is Ringo."

"With that horrible wo-"

"Kuriko."

"Right. You smell like her."

Pausing for a moment, Kakashi took a breath and realized the pug was correct. His skin was absolutely drenched in Kuriko's spicy smell, but try as he might, no memory came from it, which meant she had done something to him, she had made him forget. His hands balled into tight fists and Kakashi fought to suppress the rage burning within him.

"Continue." He managed to choke out.

"The Sand-nin left about twenty hours ago. Sakura was in here for a little while, I think, but her scent is even more weak, probably almost a day old."

The silver-haired man's eyes widened as he checked the time. It was well into the night and he had been asleep for over a day. "Pakkun, smell this." He ordered, his eyes not straying from the glaring red numbers as he shoved the canteen into Pakkun's face.

"You drank this, didn't you?" Kakashi squinted his eyes and stared back down at the pug, waiting for him to continue. "It has your saliva."

"What else, Pakkun?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"It's hard to make out. Poisons aren't made to be sniffed out. But it reminds me of Sakura, but with something else, something syrupy."

"Poisoned. Sakura wouldn't poison me."

"It isn't her canteen. Maybe she was trying to poison Kuriko."

"Or maybe Kuriko was trying to poison me."

"She didn't try, Boss, she did."

Kakashi glared at his summon before realization violently struck him. "They've gone after Sakura. She's on her way to the ANBU camp."

"She wasn't followed for at least another few hours. If she was smart, she traveled on foot and would already be there, right?"

"Kuriko drugged me and got me to tell her the plan." He said shamefully, ignoring the pug's question completely. Anxiety clawed at his throat until his hands were gripping the sheets beneath him to stay steady. Kakashi wasn't particularly prone to panic attacks, but that didn't mean he'd never had one.

"Kakashi!" Pakkun barked, jerking the jounin from his guilt-induced haze. "We need to act now. Get it together."

Nodding, Kakashi took a deep breath and shoved the offensive feelings to the back of his mind to be locked into a chest and buried in an unreachable depth where they belonged and couldn't pollute his thoughts. He stood quickly and gathered his things, Pakkun lingering by the bed to watch.

"Trail is dead now." Kakashi said sternly, slipping into the professional demeanor he was known for. "The team dispatched to kill me was just so they could get to Sakura more easily."

"They must have never seen her fight." Pakkun chuckled.

A tiny smile curled the corner of Kakashi's mouth. "They wouldn't intercept her on her way to the ANBU unless they were certain they'd reach her on time. Which is a possibilty."

"How?"

"She was pretty exhausted. She'd have to activate her seal to get to the camp in less than 8 hours with the amount of chakra she was working with. But I think the smarter plan would be to gather back-up and stop her in Wind Country. The terrain would increase their chances of defeat seeing as how Tan is a water-type, and without anything solid to use to her advantage, Sakura's strength isn't useful unless she can land a hit in hand to hand combat."

"Then where do you think she'll likely be right now? If we leave now, we can make it to the outpost tomorrow morning. Do they have a teleportation gate?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know. Not being equipped to use them means I wasn't privy to the information. I only know of one and it's in Rain. The scrolls containing the information of trade routes and bases were likely taken by RIngo and Kuriko, bu with or without them, I can only assume where they would take her if they managed to subdue her."

"You need back-up boss. I mean more than just the pack. The Hokage wouldn't be pleased to know his star medic had been taken hostage."

For more than one reason, no doubt. Needing to keep Sakura alive went far deeper than just the bonds of friendship. Sakura's mind held far too much valuable information that could be catastrophic. That was the reason she had only been on a couple of solo missions, and one of those she had back up.

"The Sixth made sure most of the more valuable shinobi learned the body destruction technique. She'd kill herself before doing anything that compromised the village." Kakashi said aloud to himself, earning him a confused look from Pakkun. The thought gave the silver-haired jounin goosebumps.

Yanking out an empty scroll and a thin black brush with matching ink, Kakashi began to furiously write across the scroll, his hand moving so quickly, even the small dog's bulging eyes couldn't keep up. When he was finished, a mere two minutes later, the jounin had written five feet of information on the scroll and used a jutsu to blow a gust of wind across the parchment, drying the ink in a matter of seconds.

"Whatcha got?" Pakkun asked, jumping onto the dresser to peak down at the tiny writing and detailed maps.

"Everything we learned from the Sand-nin and the Rogue-nin."

"Still got a photographic memory, I see."

Kakashi rolled the scroll into a tight bundle and sealed it into a metal casing. "Take this to the outpost. Sai should be there and he'll know what to do."

Pakkun stared at his captain quizzically. "How do you know? There are dozens." He stated around the metal box that muffled his words.

A nervous chuckle sounded from his throat as he scratched the back of his head. "I just like to keep up with my former teammate's whereabouts is all.." He trailed off and coughed into his hand to avoid Pakkun's judgmental gaze.

"No you don't." He said plainly.

"I just had a feeling something like this was going to happen eventually. So I may have broken into the ANBU official records and I may have read Sai's file and I _may _have checked his schedule for upcoming missions in the next few months."

"When would you have had time to do this?" Pakkun asked as Kakashi began walking to the door to slip into his shoes and pull on his thick, rain-resistant cloak.

"Right before we left for the mission, not that it is any of your business."

"In broad daylight. You're an idiot." Kakashi just shrugged and pulled his mask up over his nose and gave the pug his signature bored expression that made Pakkun growl before asking again. "What if Sai isn't there?"

"Then give it to whomsoever is. I need one person to deliver the scroll to the Hokage and another person to locate the closest team not on an important mission and send them my way for back up. I assume that will be Team Gai."

They had been walking absently during their quiet conversation until they made their way outside in the cold rain and the two scowled at the offensive act of nature. Kakashi bent down to take the scroll from Pakkun's mouth and securely fasten it inside the pack located on the dog's back.

Pakkun gagged for a minute as the feeling rushed back into his strained mouth. "Where exactly will you be?"

"Somewhere between Tani and Suna." Kakashi said just before speeding off in the opposite direction. The ninken groaned, this was going to be a taxing journey through the rain-soaked tea leaves, over the bay, and into River country. He only hoped Sakura was still there so she could give him one of her famous belly rubs.

...

ANBU outposts didn't have much, but this one was stocked with a pretty impressive supply of imported food and drinks given that it operated between three borders, and the off-duty operative enjoying these amenities had never been so thankful to see Haruno Sakura. She couldn't cook to save her life, but she had a lovely smile and knew how to make spiced wine, which it turned out was exactly what the tired ninja needed.

Tenzou's face was serious and he stared down at his favorite medic, but Sakura could see the carefully restrained amusement peaking out between the cracks of his facade. He lifted his piping hot mug of holiday wine to his lips and took a few long gulps, sighing when the potent mixture of wine and rum burned down his throat.

"You." He said slowly, as if trying to get a feel for the words he was chewing on, excited giggles practically trying to bulldoze through the invisible wall erected in the back of his throat. "And Kakashi."

Her jade-green eyes grew large and darted around the seemingly empty medical tent to make sure no one was listening-which she knew was ridiculous even as she thought it, for it was pretty common knowledge that ANBU had a tendency to gossip, and it wasn't like she could really blame them-and gave her former-captain the most venomous of glares.

"Yes." The faint rosy color of her cheeks blossomed to life as she spoke, and the blush spread to every inch of her body, turning the fair skin to an incandescent shade of pink. Tenzou, unable to control himself for another moment, burst into a fit of unabashed laughter, no longer caring that Sakura could shatter his pelvis with her pinky.

"I'm serious!" She cried, embarrassment turning to white-hot rage.

"No no.." The chestnut-haired ANBU wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "I know you are, that is why it is _so_ funny."

Sakura frowned. He was missing the point and she wasn't entirely certain she understood his. Polishing off her drink in one gulp, the roseate-haired shinobi refilled her cup, purposefully ignoring Tenzou's pout when she didn't do the same for him.

"Why is that so funny?"

"Because, Saku-chan, it's Kakashi. Of all the young, eligible males practically throwing themselves at you, you pick him."

Sakura's lips puckered up sourly and painted features into an expression of disgust. She _despised _that nickname more than anything else she had ever been called. Saku had too many viable meanings, and ever since Sai realized all the possibilities, he and Tenzou had made a game of using her name as a pun. It was endlessly exhausting. Hopefully he was too drunk to compose anything offensive.

Knowing that the man sitting across from her was indisputably trying to get a rise out of her, Sakura took a few breaths before responding. "And who exactly are you referring to?"

"Plenty of people. Neji."

This time his ploy to fluster her had worked like a charm. "Why does everyone keep bringing that up?!" She demanded, tossing a rock she had been fingering against a nearly tree, causing the bark to explode from the tree's surface on impact.

"Calm down." He advised, a bit of fearful regret lacing the edge of his voice. Clearing his mirth out of his throat, Tenzou sighed and lazily propped his face in his palm and watched as Sakura's emotions danced across her youthful face. "What is it that's bothering you, Sakura?"

"I guess.." She bit her lip and shrugged, her eyes falling to fix on the maroon depths of her cup. Sakura took another sip and frowned, all of the feelings she had been ignoring suddenly weighed down on her heavily. "I just kind of thought he liked me, you know?"

"He probably does, Sakura. Kakashi isn't particularly forthcoming with his emotions, and if you honestly believe he likes you, then he does. Besides, I'm pretty sure the whole town already knows how much he wants to sleep with you."

The previously dormant blush flared to life and Sakura choked on the gulp of wine she had just swallowed. "You know about that?"

"Everyone knows about it."

"You weren't even in the village!"

Tenzou shrugged. "New travels faster within the ranks of the ANBU."

"I knew you black-ops were a bunch of hens. Anyways, he was drunk." Sakura further defended, still not willing to accept what she'd heard for anything other than drunk nonsense.

"And probably drugged if Genma was involved. You know what they say, _truth in wine._"

"Can we not talk about that? Or this at all? Ever again?" She pleaded, burying her hot face into to palms of her hands.

"Suit yourself. I need to get some sleep anyways, and you should too." Sakura nodded and stood up with the former captain of Team Kakashi and stretched with a groan. The rosette hadn't taken the time to rest, instead immediately sought out Tenzou for a good talk, which turned into her making spiced wine for fifteen people and being forced into the medical tent to treat a few minor wounds.

Glancing up at the sun overhead, Sakura guessed it had to be about noon, but the frigid winter air gave the surrounding forest a feeling of dusk, making the pastel-haired medic's eyelids grow heavy with sleep, but sleep wasn't really apart of her plan for the day.

Sakura gathered up the cups that the tired black-ops member had so carelessly left for her disposal and screwed the top onto her canteen of the newly-made spiced wine. If she remembered correctly, mulling spices were pretty common in Suna, but it wouldn't hurt to bring some wine a long with her. The Kazekage always had had a soft, one might even say sweet, spot for Sakura, and she'd do just about anything to stay within the good graces of one of the most powerful people in the world, even if that meant bringing her mother's secret recipe of holiday wine.

The grounds were quiet this time of year, and it left the kunoichi with a prickling sense of unease that caused goosebumps to rise onto her arms and scratch against the soft fabric of her thermal shirt. Being as skilled a medic as her, Sakura had been granted privileges that outranked most of those serving as special jounin, black-ops, and the elite task forces that were peppered across the compound in small, haphazard groups about the area. It was strange to be looked on with such respect and Sakura often wondered how her Rokudaime dealt with it. It wasn't like this within the village walls. People admired her, sure, but most of the healing she had done in Konoha had been anonymous. This was the tenth ANBU outpost she'd visited since the war, and although most of the shinobi around her deigned porcelain faces, she recognized each painted mask she had come in contact with.

There were people here whose lives she saved, guilt-ridden comrades who could rest with a few less demons flying over their heads because of her work. It was a scary feeling to know so many people trusted her. The pressure was insurmountable, and for a fleeting moment the image of her former sensei standing in front of the cenotaph flashed in her mind. The cloth of his standard-issue pants barely concealed the presence of his hands as they balled into tight fists inside his pockets, and though his shoulders hunched forward lazily, his muscles were so rigid that Sakura could almost make out the way they twitched slightly beneath all of the weight he carried with him at all times.

...

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." Sakura growled under her breath, spitting out a mouthful of blood that had bubbled up from her throat. A younger Sakura would have gagged at the offensive, metallic taste, she would have cried in defeat and prayed for someone to come save her, but not this young woman. Part of her knew that capture was imminent, but her rage was fueling her stamina, pumping so much adrenaline through her veins that Sakura truly thought her heart might stop altogether from the pressure.

She was just so angry. She was clever enough to have figured out what exactly had transpired in Kakashi's hotel room, but had been so blinded by _emotions_ that she hadn't seen what was so clearly spelled out in front of her. Why a dose of her poison had gone missing, why Kakashi would do such a thing, how his lack of the sharingan prevented his one surefire mode of defense against mental warfare...

Her and her former teacher had fallen right into the sand-nins' trap. Sakura was exactly where they wanted her, surrounded by a horde of faceless ninja, her 'prisoners' lying a hundred klicks away, incapacitated, or possibly dead, with no back-up, and no equal footing.

Of the dozen men led by Kuriko that had ambushed them, there were only half left alive. The pinkette didn't enjoy taking lives and she knew this would haunt her later, but at the moment she only felt one emotion: rage. However, that feeling was slowly draining, turning into what she knew all too well to be defeat.

A gust of frigid wind blew around them, lifting invisible specks of sand from the parched, desert ground and Sakura coughed as the coarse particles assaulted her eyes and open mouth. She lifted her head to gaze at the waning moon nestled deeply in a blanket of endless, sparkling stars that would continue to project regardless if she were to wink out of existence.

Her movements were slowing, and Sakura gritted her teeth when a foot connected with her already bruised side, causing a knew stream of blood to pool in the back of her throat; all the while the night sky continued to stare back at her, indifferent. Another swift kick brought the rosette to her knees and she found herself now incomprehensible thoughts to wander back to those of her former sense, of Kakashi and the way he had kissed her. It had been so perfect, everything she imagined a kiss should be, and he had meant it. And she was so very stupid for doubting him.

"Kuriko." Sakura said suddenly, her heavy arms dropping to her sides, and every shinobi immediately ceased their onslaught as the wheat-haired kunoichi stalked forward to look Sakura in the eye. "Why are you doing this?"

The woman in question stared down at her and for once Sakura felt like shrinking beneath the pressure of her calculating gaze, but still held her ground, searching the lines of Kuriko's face for any trace of humanity or understanding, finding nothing but steely resolve.

"This is bigger than you. And I believe you already know the reason." Kuriko answered simply as she clamped a pair of chakra restraints onto Sakura's wrists.

"But you were given this mission so we could work together." The roseate-haired kunoichi paused to cough up the blood still trickling up her throat. "You'll be held accountable for this. The kazekage won't-"

"No I won't, because everything is going to go according to plan." He voice dropped to whisper as she took a step towards Sakura. "You just need to trust that I've got this under control."

"I don't trust you at all." Sakura whispered back, cringing at the mere suggestion of trusting this woman.

"You leaf-nin are all the same." Kuriko sighed before lifting her hand and striking Sakura's temple.

Everything faded around quickly to darkness, and all Sakura do was hope that maybe Kuriko didn't want her dead, that maybe she just wanted her sister to be safe.

...


End file.
